Before the Darkness
by Shads42
Summary: As far as the average citizen is concerned, everything in Inkopolis is running smoothly. Even for those in charge, there is no cause for concern. But when one of them stumbles across a pair of octolings bringing news of a coming invasion, things are going to get complicated very quickly. This is set 2 years before Splatoon 1, and is the first fic in The Darkness quartet.
1. Prologue

**This is the first story in a quartet of Splatoon fanfics I am writing and takes place about two years before the events of the first Splatoon game. The second fanfic in this series, The Darkest Hour, will be put back up on fanfiction soon (it's a long story as to why it was taken down), perhaps even now depending on when you're reading this fic.**

 **Disclaimer for the _entire_ fanfic: I do not own or claim to own anything that officially belongs to Splatoon. **

* * *

Ink was flying everywhere as the teenager twisted and twirled out from behind cover, snapping off shots as she did so. Her target was weaving about the area, inking the ground, the walls, anywhere he could see trying to lay down turf for him to retreat into. When his ink tank emptied out he shifted into a squid and dove into the ink, vanishing with nary a ripple.

"...Ninja squid, eh?" The girl smirked as she tossed a sprinkler over a short wall, letting the device get to work covering up the dark blue ink on the ground. Droplets sprayed all over the place, a few of them clinging to a certain section of ink that bubbled a bit at the contact. Noticing this, the girl let a predatory grin cross her face and she began charging up another shot on her kelp splatterscope.

Sensing that his cover had been blown the boy leaped out of the ink, gun blazing as he took out the sprinkler before charging the girl. He wove side to side, occasionally slipping into the ink and popping up in a random location. His custom-painted.52 gal deco gleamed in the artificial lighting as he briefly holstered it to throw out a seeker. The teen then dove back into the ink once more, swimming secretly towards the girl.

With a yell, he burst out behind her, finger wrapped around the trigger. Dark blue ink went flying through the air, striking the girl in the back. She only had enough time to turn around and snap off an already charged shot in his direction before a few more ink bullets made contact, splatting her. A little black squid ghost, slightly different from that of a normal inkling's, flew off towards the only respawn pad in the room, not looking back to see if the shot made contact. She knew it was good.

Sure enough, a split second later the black ink made contact, instantly splatting the other boy. His own ghost emerged from the small puddle of ink on the ground, spiraling up into the air before drifting towards the respawn pad as well…


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Hey Nyx, wake up!" A knocking on the door startled the teenager out of her slumber and with a groan she groggily sat up in bed. "Moray and Arowana are on the rotation in an hour, and I wanted to know if you would like to go do some turfing with me."

"You mean you want an excuse to go on a date with me and are hoping that the turf wars will put me in a good mood first," Nyx called back through the door. Hearing nothing but silence, the girl grinned, knowing that her guess had been correct.

"Well...uh…"

"Sure Kai," the teen rolled her eyes and got out of bed. "I'll go do turf with you. Just let me get ready first."

"Ha-ha yeah! You got it, love! Woo-hoo!" There was a flurry of excited footsteps as Kai ran off, no doubt heading back to his floor to get ready. His excitement caused the still sleepy Nyx to sigh and shake her head.

"Sometimes I wonder how he and I ended up together…" she muttered, stretching a bit to loosen up her muscles and ease out all the kinks. "Not that I'm complaining about it though."

The half-squidling sighed and took a quick shower before grabbing her standard gear, which was composed of a dark urban vest, moto boots, and a pair of octoglasses. She tied her long black tentacles back before grabbing her kelp splatterscope and walking out the door.

"Morning Nyx!" Pandora, her current next door neighbor, was also exiting her apartment and gave a cheerful wave to the girl. "Man, I swear your tentacles get longer every time I see you!"

"It's these squidling genes…" Nyx mumbled, not liking the girl's attention.

"Oh, I know, I know," the purple inkling replied with a laugh. "I just think it's cool, you know? Been a long time since we've had someone like you in the House, both in appearance and in skill."

Nyx sighed and didn't say anything as the other teen continued to chatter on. Why oh why did Pandora, like most other teens, have to focus on her unique appearance? Sometimes she really hated the fact that her recessive squidling genes managed to express themselves, giving her the long black tentacles with small spike-like protrusions and bits of webbing she was easily recognized by. What she wouldn't give to be just another normal inkling like the vast majority of the city's residents. It made sneaking around Inkopolis that much harder - before her more subtle squidling traits became more pronounced at the age of sixteen all she had to do was change her ink color to pass as part of the crowd. Now, well, there really wasn't a point. Nyx had to face facts, she was different and everyone else would never let her forget that.

"There you are!" Arms wrapped around Nyx from behind, encasing her in a warm embrace. She stiffened slightly, only to relax as she realized she recognized that voice. Turning around in the hug was a bit difficult but soon the black tentacled girl was facing the one and only Kai McReefling, number one in the House of Hundred, and also her boyfriend.

"You want to grab breakfast out someplace before we get started?" He asked, grinning down at her. "I heard that the cafe over on Inkstone Street has really good pastries."

"Hm...let me think…" Koa smirked playfully at him, pretending to mull over her options. Much to her chagrin, however, her stomach decided at that moment to let out a rather audible growling noise.

"Well...I guess I could go for some food," she decided, the tips of her ears flushing red in embarrassment. Kai grinned happily, the wide smile lighting up the amber eyes that Nyx could get lost in for hours.

"Great!" He cheered before leaning down to plant a kiss on Nyx's lips, who merely let a small smile grace her lips and kissed him back. Before it could get too passionate or lead to anything else, though, Pandora chose that exact moment to remind the others that they weren't alone. With a look of childish glee on her face she stuck two fingers in her mouth and let out an ear piercing wolf whistle. Instantly the two separated, both having faint blushes on their face as they stared at her indignantly.

The purple tentacled inkling merely adopted an innocent look, small giggles escaping from her mouth. Kai sighed, while Nyx rolled her eyes and muttered something under her breath that was no doubt an indignant comment about the other inkling's sense of humor. Pandora continued to stand there chuckling until finally realizing the expressions on the other two inklings' faces.

"Ah well, would you look at the time! I've got some other inklings to go crush in rank! See you later, love squids!" With a sheepish grin, the teenager grabbed her dynamo roller and hightailed it down the hallway.

"...She certainly has great timing…" Kai eventually muttered, sounding disappointed that the kiss was so short. With a hopeful look in his eyes, he turned towards Nyx. "Now where were we?"

"If you want another kiss you better impress me in turf," she replied, starting to walk down the hallway. "Come on, let's get to that cafe before they sell out."

"Aw...but I'm your boyfriend. Surely a quick kiss won't hurt anything."

"You know how we do things around here," Nyx glanced over her shoulder, a sly look on her face. Kai, sensing that he wasn't going to be successful in his endeavor, rolled his eyes but allowed a small grin to flicker across his face.

"Of course I know how we do things around here love," he said, striding down the hallway to catch up to the shorter cephalopod. He quickly slipped one of his hands around her own, capturing it in his grip. Nyx raised an eyebrow before allowing a small laugh to escape her and she adjusted her own grip so it was more comfortable for the two of them.

"We sure are a strange pair, huh?" She mused as they entered one of the elevators and pressed the button for the ground floor. Kai laughed at the verbalized thought, a deep, booming laugh that echoed around the small room.

"Of course we are, but I wouldn't change anything about you," he grinned and booped her on the nose, chuckling still. Nyx went slightly cross-eyed as she tried to focus on his hand, soon giving up and shaking her head with a sigh. There was a small smile on her face, though, showing that she wasn't upset at all by her boyfriend's actions.

"And I wouldn't change anything about you either," she replied, leaning her head on his shoulder as the elevator doors slid shut and a slight hum filled the air. Kai smiled down at the girl and planted a soft kiss on her forehead as they rode down to the ground floor in silence.

"Remember, public personas," Nyx murmured as the doors opened up to a mostly empty lobby. "No one can know we're part of the House."

"Yeah, I know. I mean, I've only been running this place for how many years?" Kai winked the playful smirk back on his face.

"Three years, four months, twenty-eight days, seventeen hours, and fifty-five minutes approximately."

"...you seriously aren't keeping track, are you?"

"Hey, number two's duties include keeping the history of the House, including how long each member has been in their current position," Nyx shrugged defensively as they walked out a side exit into a fenced-in area. From there they slipped through a few grates and then hopped over a small brick wall until they were in the maze of alleys that linked Inkopolis together. It was a place that both of them, as well as the other members of the House, were well acquainted with. The large ornate doors of the former hotel were merely for show. This was how the members got in and out of the building.

Soon they were heading down a narrow path adjacent to Spike's alley, soon emerging into the more well-lit area. The street urchin nodded a greeting to the pair as he dealt with a few customers, a knowing look flashing across his face. He wasn't privy to the names of the inklings who were part of the organization, but the spiky-haired man wasn't a fool. He had made the connection that the back alleys had to the House long ago, though he kept that knowledge secret for reasons known only to him.

The plaza was bustling like always, inklings and other evolved sea creatures hurrying in and out of the shops. Some were gathered about the news station, watching the Squid Sisters record another news segment. Kai and Nyx ignored them, though, and instead made their way across the large, open area to head down Inkstone Street. The cafe wasn't too far down the busy road, and soon Kai was holding the door open so his girlfriend could walk inside. Much to her relief it was much quieter inside the small business, a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the city.

"So, what do you want to get?" Kai pulled out his wallet and looked at Nyx expectantly. The partial squidling was perusing the menu boards behind the counter, steadfastly ignoring the few curious stares and whispers that seemed to follow her everywhere she went.

"Hm...probably just a muffin and some coffee," she replied after a few moments of thought.

"Are you sure you don't want anything aside from that?"

"I am one hundred percent certain, Kai."

Kai let a soft sigh escape him at the clipped tone in his girlfriend's voice but nonetheless got in line so he could order. Nyx wandered off to find a place to sit, eventually choosing a small booth that was tucked away in the corner of the restaurant. She sat down, eyes scanning the building and analyzing the place.

"You do know we're not in a turf war yet, love," Kai joked a few minutes later as he came over, carrying their order. He handed Nyx her muffin and coffee before eagerly beginning to consume his bacon and shrimp bagel.

"I'm fully aware of that," Nyx murmured softly. "However, it never hurts to be prepared."

"I still say you have to be paranoid to be a sniper." Kai rolled his eyes as he spoke. "I mean, you always act like you're two seconds away from being splatted, even when you aren't in a battle."

"Perhaps, but if that so-called paranoia keeps me alive so I can do my job effectively, then it's really not a bad thing."

The two lapsed into an awkward silence at that comment, Kai eating his food while Nyx took a few small bites of her muffin here and there. For a moment it was like two strangers were sitting at the table rather than partners, each lost in their own thoughts and not sure what to say. Finally, after the last bit of his sandwich disappeared down his gullet, Kai decided to speak up.

"So, are you ever going to challenge me for my spot again? You never did it after our first batt-"

"Shh!" Nyx interrupted him, a serious look on her face. "You know we're not supposed to talk about that here."

"Okay, okay, geez!" Kai held up his hands defensively. "It was just a question."

"..." Nyx looked at him flatly as she took another sip of coffee, not saying anything. Her actions caused Kai to let a great sigh escape him, a somewhat frustrated look on his face.

"...I'm sorry…" He muttered eventually.

"I forgive you...just be more careful, okay?" Nyx finished her food before standing up. "So...are we just going to sit around all day or are we actually going to do turf wars?"

"Right." Kai nodded and stood up as well, collecting the trash to throw away in the garbage can by the door. "Ready to snipe?"

"Of course." Nyx let a predatory grin slip onto her face as she walked outside, glancing at her weapon. Kai grinned, the tension in the air between them now gone as they headed for the large iron structure of Inkopolis Tower. The Great Zapfish was curled around its top, idly sparking occasionally as the large creature observed the city below. Inklings milled about the tower, a good chunk of them going in to register for ink battles. Kai and Nyx joined them, hands linked again.

They ended up heading off to Arowana Mall first, joining two random squids at the blue team's spawn point. When the bell rang the two hit the ground with legs running, hearts pumping, and guns blazing. Nyx rushed towards her favored sniping nest on the right-hand side of the arena, pausing only to toss a sprinkler down near the spawn point. Kai, on the other hand, when left, sending out a seeker here and there to create long lines of ink for traveling. Boyfriend and girlfriend reached the middle at the same time and set about claiming it for themselves before the enemy team could arrive.

An orange splat bomb was the first sign that an attack was imminent, and then a pair of inklings lept into the center. Kai smirked and slipped behind the center partition before diving into the ink without a trace. The teen looped behind the pair before popping up to surprise them, bullets flying from his .52 gal deco. A pair of startled yelps filled the air, and two orange squid ghosts were soon flying back towards the spawn.

"Watch your back, Kai." There was a somewhat loud _thunk_ as a trail of pressurized ink split the air next to him and cleanly took out the roller user that had managed to get close to the boy while he was preoccupied. Kai shot a grateful look up at his girlfriend, whose tentacles had begun to glow.

"Thanks, love!"

"Just be more careful next time…" Nyx muttered as she deployed her killer wail, aiming the large speaker down towards the enemy spawn point. "Get moving, we have a turf war to win."

With a grin Kai saluted her before rushing down into the enemy base, calling the other two members of their team to his side. At this point, even though they were not even a full minute into the match, it was over. Now, let it not be said that the orange team just gave up and squid partied. No, even in the face of a certain loss they still soldiered on, trying to splat the blue team so they could reclaim turf. It was a noble war they fought, although Kai and Nyx alone were beyond their skill level. If one did not take them out, then the other would, constantly watching each other's backs to ensure their survival. Eventually they pushed the enemy team back to spawn and trapped them there while the other two blue inklings went off to ink all the little nooks and crannies of the map that they missed.

Given that this had occurred, it was then no surprise that when the horns blared to signify the end of the three-minute battle Arowana Mall looked like a giant blue burst bomb had gone off inside it. Almost the whole map was filled in with Nyx and Kai's color, only a few specks of orange here and there marring the surface. It was a decisive victory for the blue team, one that hopefully was an omen of many good battles to come.

For the next four hours, Kai and Nyx continued to fight. Sometimes they were on the same team, other times they were rivals who sought each other out on the battlefield. Their skirmishes were intense ones, ink flying furiously as they attempted to splat each other in a fashion weirdly reminiscent of how they first met. More often than not it was Nyx who found herself the loser of these miniature fights, sent back to spawn by a carefully placed seeker or a surprise attack courtesy of the ninja squid ability on Kai's shoes.

When the ink from the last battle settled, it was quite clear that Nyx had been splatted many more times than Kai had. A frustrated but reserved look adorned the girl's face as if she had been expecting that result but was unhappy with it nonetheless.

"So, did I impress you enough to get a kiss?" Kai asked as he walked up behind the girl, catching sight of the look on her face.

"Hm...let me think…" Nyx replied with a shrug. "Did you?"

She appeared to think for a minute before standing on her tiptoes and giving him a kiss. There was a small, somewhat rueful smirk on her face. Kai flushed red, before wrapping his arms around Nyx and twirling her around, causing a few of the nearby squids to chuckle at the pair's romantic actions.

"I'll get a longer one from you later," the teen whispered as he set her back down. "I know you're not fond of public attention."

"Thanks…"

"So then love, shall we get going?" He spoke in a louder voice now, offering her his hand. Nyx silently took it and together the couple walked out of the tower, a bit sore and out of breath from the battles of the day. No words were spoken between them until they were safely back in the alleys, heading for the House.

"Heh...kind of funny when deja vu hits, isn't it?" Kai asked, looking at his girlfriend lovingly. "Almost felt like back when we first met. Remember, we only knew of each other's existence for about five minutes beforehand and we were already trying to splat one another."

"I remember," she murmured, glancing at their surroundings to make sure that they weren't being followed. "I also remember you beat me."

"Eh heh...yeah, sorry about that…" A sheepish grin appeared on Kai's face as he spoke. "I mean, that's how we do things in the House. Still don't know how I won that match though."

"I know how. You had close-range capabilities and I didn't keep you far away enough."

"You know, if you want close range you could always-"

"No." Nyx stopped, turning to look at her boyfriend directly in the eye. "I will not be switching my weapon. The sprinkler is too important in my strategy at this point. How else am I going to be an asset to the team in turf wars points wise? Not to mention it makes it much easier to charge up my special."

Kai looked at her in mute shock, causing the black tentacled teen to roll her eyes.

"You know…" he eventually said. "That's probably the most words I've heard come out of your mouth at one time in my entire life."

"...really?" Nyx sighed, while a grin crawled onto her boyfriend's face and he broke out into a laugh.

"No, no, I'm only joking love," he said as he wrapped his arms around her. "I know you talk more inside the House."

"Yeah…" She leaned into the embrace for a few minutes before pulling away. "What do you think the future's going to be like you think?"

"The future? Which one? Ours? The House's? The city itself?"

"Any of them, really." Her words caused a thoughtful look to take up residence on Kai's face as the couple resumed their walk, slowly but surely heading for the large building that they along with ninety-eight others called home.

"Well, for the House I imagine it will be business as usual. One day we'll retire or I'll get dethroned. That kid in the thirties, the one that uses an e-liter 3K, he'll probably make it up to the top one day."

"You mean Yusei?" Nyx tilted her head, a bit intrigued by that prediction. "You really think he'll be able to beat Pandora?"

"Yep. Don't get me wrong, Pandora's great at one on one battles. She is skilled with any weapon after all," Kai shrugged. " But Yusei's in a class by himself. If it weren't for you he'd be the best sniper in the House. As for Inkopolis, well, it'll be like any other city. There will be good times, and times of trouble. Nothing can go perfectly forever, but I like to think that the House will do a good job of making sure that things run as smoothly and efficiently as possible."

"...I like how you neglected the first choice," Nyx mumbled sarcastically.

"I'm getting to that, be patient," the older inkling chastised. "Now, as for the two of us...well...logically we'll continue to date and, with luck, we could even get married. Grow old together, have a family, watch our kids experience the world, but most importantly of all doing it side by side."

"I think I would like that very much," she murmured softly, her voice barely audible. Nonetheless, though, Kai heard it, causing a faint smile to grace his face.

"I would too, Nyx," he replied, leaning down to kiss her again. "I would too."

* * *

"Open up the door!"

The short, sharp order was accompanied by pounding fists and the audible clicks of weapons being armed. Inside the room the two octolings scrambled around, trying to figure out some way to escape. Brother and sister made a dash for the window just as the door gave. Armed soldiers swarmed into the room, octoshots raised, blue tentacles almost glowing in the sickly light. The boy froze upon seeing their strange appearance, their sickly green skin and nasty leers adorning their faces.

"Come on Seabass, we have to go!" The girl whispered urgently, tugging on Seabass' arm. It seemed to snap him out of his stupor and with a shaking hand he produced a smoke bomb before hurling it to the ground. Large billowing clouds of black smog instantly filled the air, causing the soldiers to cough and choke as they suddenly couldn't breathe. The pair took advantage of this to smash the window and jump out of it, falling into the void outside.

"Thank goodness we live by the cliffs…" Seabass mumbled. "Right Amira?"

"Yeah." Amira nodded as they landed at the bottom of the small chasm a few moments later. Instantly the two broke into a sprint, running through the darkness. They could barely see but they had made this journey several times before, and confidently navigated the uneven terrain.

"How much fu-" He was cut off by the sound of other boots, marching in a military-esque manner. The two froze, listening, ears straining to pick up even the tiniest amount of noise. Was it behind them, in front of them, coming from somewhere else? The answer was all of the above, faint blue glows appearing in the blackness as more of those strange octoling soldiers hunted them down.

Suddenly the sounds of gunfire filled the air, blue ink flying out of the darkness, coupled with tranquilizer darts. The two fugitives did their best to dodge them, ducking behind stalagmites and rocky formations, returning fire with their own octoshots. But it was one against many, an almost impossible situation, and the other soldiers were too skilled.

Seabass went down first, a dart sticking out of the back of his neck. A trio of soldiers instantly converged on him, cuffing his wrists and ankles together.

"Ugh...Amira...run…" His words were slurred as the sedatives took effect and he fell unconscious. Amira looked at his still form with sorrow, allowing herself a brief moment of mourning before she fled deeper into the tunnel.

"After her!" More pounding boots, more orders barked in a businesslike manner. Her breaking hearts struggled to pump blood laden with oxygen and adrenaline to her tired body, her breathing became labored, muscles aching, and still the octoling ran. Amira had taken a wrong turn somewhere, the ground beneath her feet unfamiliar. Stumbling, the teenager continued her desperate attempt to escape.

Suddenly, in her limited vision, a wall loomed before her. Amira came to a screeching halt, looking at it in horror. A dead end, at the most inopportune time. Was her luck really that bad? No sooner had these thoughts crossed her mind did she feel the sting of a needle piercing her skin. Her legs suddenly grew weak, a wave of dizziness washing over her as the octoling slumped forward, sliding down the wall towards the ground. Amira's rapidly fading vision detected a few smears of blue, no doubt more of those strange octolings. She had failed.

Commander, we have captured Amira and Sebastian Kelpster," one of them radioed, looking down at the now unconscious octoling with distaste. "We will bring them in immediately."


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

A whirring sound filled the air, followed by a loud thunk and a deafening popping sound. Silence for the briefest of moments, and then the cycle repeated itself once more.

It was this cacophony of noise that greeted Kai as he opened the doors to the arena, the place where all ritual battles took place for the House. It was here that newcomers fought their way through the ranks, trying to get to the top, and here where the members challenged one another. It was a place of great importance to the organization, which was why it was so surprising to see that Nyx had set up some targets and was practicing her sniping here.

"How goes the training?" Kai inquired calmly as he wandered over to the girl's side. She flinched at the sudden distraction, but nonetheless managed to keep her gun steady, firing once more. Her aim was true, the pressurized ink popping the stiff rubber inflatable.

"...how long have you been here?"

"Not that long, love," he replied, slipping an arm around her. "Only for a few minutes. I'm surprised you aren't in the top ten's private practice hall. You know coming here when you aren't battling is frowned upon."

"It's not forbidden though," Nyx pointed out. "And I was in the private range. People kept on staring at me and whispering."

She sighed and ran a hand over her tentacles, fingers dancing over the small pseudo-spikes and lingering over the webbing. A frustrated look adorned the girls face as she stared at the squidling qualities that would forever mark her as different.

"Sometimes I wish I was just another normal inkling," she mumbled. "Maybe then I'd be able to practice in quiet…"

"Nyx, look at me." Kai turned the girl so she was facing him, hands moving up to rest on her shoulders. "I love you for who you are...I don't care that you don't look like other inklings...every aspect of you is beautiful...you're beautiful, love."

Nyx turned red at his loving words and glanced downward, a bit embarrassed by the praise. She awkwardly shuffled her feet, unsure of what to do exactly. Love had never been one of the girl's strong suits after all.

"...thanks, love…so tell me, why did you seek me out?"

"See, that's more like the Nyx I know and love," Kai grinned. "Always straight to business."

"So there is something then," she muttered with a sigh, slinging her weapon over her shoulder. "What is it?"

"House meeting in ten. I came to get you." Kai allowed a somewhat bored look to cross his face. "Not exactly my cup of tea, but supposedly Kasumi's going to challenge Pandora for her spot, so that ought to make things interesting. Plus we're inducting a new number one hundred into our ranks."

"You mean we finally found a replacement for Ash?" Nyx raised an eyebrow, surprise etched onto her features. Kai nodded, causing the girl's shocked expression to grow larger. "You're kidding, that seat's been empty for months."

"Well, we finally got someone the majority agreed on. He'll be coming to the meeting too. You know what that means."

"Uniforms…" Nyx groaned. "Great…guess I better go change once I get this cleaned up."

"I'll handle it," Kai said, waving a hand at the door. "I'll see you at the meeting, love."

Nyx nodded before giving him a quick one-armed hug and then rushing out the door. She took the elevator to the eleventh floor and walked to the room emblazoned with a number two on the door. Pulling out a card key she swiped it in the lock before entering her apartment.

"Hm...wonder who the newbie is going to be," she mumbled as she headed for her bedroom and grabbed her uniform. Secrecy was a must in the House, and any time they were inducting a new member they had to wear the standard uniform until he or she was officially part of their ranks. In this case, however, it was merely a formality, a matter of ceremony. This newcomer was filling an empty seat, not fighting to take another's spot. Technically speaking, they were already a member of the house.

Rules were rules, however, and thus Nyx, like the ninety-eight others that were currently getting ready for the meeting, had to wear the uniform. It was a nice looking one - dark colored hoodies, pants, boots, and bandanas - but sometimes it grew a bit tiresome to have to rely on keeping one's identity hidden from the public.

Sighing she tied the black bandana over the lower half of her face before flipping her hood up, shrouding her features in darkness. It was somewhat of a nuisance, yes, but in the grand scheme of things it wasn't too much of an inconvenience. At this point uniforms were only required when the House was either inducting new members or sending out a message to the public. Nyx would not have to wear it long on this day.

Nyx silently exited her room, only to run into Pandora, Kasumi, and Akira. They too were dressed in their uniforms, making idle talk as they headed towards the elevators. The partial squidling joined them, ghosting down the hallway behind their forms.

"Hey Nyx," Akira glanced back at her. "You ready for today? You'll have another person's data to keep track of it."

The teen gave a noncommittal shrug, coupled with a grunt, but other than that said nothing.

"Well you're not in a chatty mood." Kasumi dropped back a little to walk next to her, draping an arm across the other inkling's shoulders. Nyx sighed but said nothing, knowing that complaining about the physical contact wouldn't do her any good.

"What's the matter? Catfish got your tongue?" Kasumi giggled a bit at her joke. "Come on, cheer up a little. Today's going to be fun! Newbies always are interesting to watch. Remember when fifty-seven through fifty-five joined?"

"Remind me who those are again?" Pandora tipped her head to the side, trying to recall who exactly occupied those spots at the moment.

"Dashiel Parkinkson, Liam Huebert, and Zane Irving," Nyx supplied after a moment's thought. "They joined a year ago, approximately."

"Yeah, those three. Those were some red hot battles they fought. A pity they didn't get higher up in the ranks before being defeated, I would've loved to have a crack at them." Pandora grinned and idly twirled her carbon roller. Kasumi smirked, running a hand over the handle of her inkbrush.

"Oh, you'll get a red hot battle later," she promised. Pandora glanced over at her, the girl's grin widening at the thought.

"So that rumor I heard was true," the girl realized. "You're finally challenging me again."

"Yep, and I don't plan on losing either."

"Heh...we'll see about that. Don't forget, I'm known as the weapon master for a reason."

The two started to engage in competitive yet lighthearted and friendly banter as the quartet entered the elevator and pushed the button for the second basement level. Despite the fact that Kasumi desperately wanted to move up in the House, she and Pandora were great friends. Nyx watched the two for a minute, lost in thought, before someone nudging her shoulder brought her attention back to the real world. Glancing to the side revealed it was Akira who had poked her.

"Hey, you ever going to challenge Kai for his spot?" His inquiry had a hint of curiosity contained within it, and this question was enough to get the other two girls to stop their boasts for a minute.

"Not right now," Nyx replied with a shake of her head. "I'm not strong enough to beat him, especially since he knows how to get in close."

"That is true...still don't know how you managed to beat either of us." Kasumi gestured towards herself and Pandora as she spoke. "I mean, we both used close range weapons to fight you, and inkbrush users like myself are always a pain to take out using a charger since we're so quick."

"With you I restricted your movements with a sprinkler and a killer wail before picking you off, remember?" Nyx sighed and ran a hand over the barrel of her weapon. "As for Pandora, well, I'll be the first to admit a good chunk of how I defeated her was nothing but luck."

"Luck? Pfft, yeah right," Pandora laughed. "Nyx, you're arguably the best sniper the House has seen in years. Not many people can make it to the second highest spot with a weapon that completely lacks short range combat capabilities."

"I could always be better, though." Her eyes flickered to the doors as the machine rumbled to a halt. "How skilled I am doesn't matter at the moment, however. I wish you two well with you upcoming battle."

With that, the girl strode out of the elevator, walking into the chambers where all official meetings took place. It was a round, vaguely circular room, levels of desks shaped in two arcs descending down towards the center. A large, flat floor meant for debates and announcements was in the center, A ceremonial dias was pressed up against the back wall opposite the elevator, ten more desks reserved for the top ten ink battlers on top of them.

Nyx descended the stairs that lead to the dias, saluting the black-clad figure sitting in the center before taking her place at his right hand side. Moments later she felt a hand wrap around her own, and let a small smile spread across her face underneath the bandana. During the official meetings such as this one Kai and Nyx could not be as openly affectionate with each other as they were during their normal conversations. However, Nyx certainly was not going to complain about the covert hand holding.

More and more inklings filed into the room, each wearing the same uniform, settling into their chairs and greeting those around them. Three remained empty, which was easily explainable. The current ninety-nine and ninety-eight were out fetching Ryker, who would occupy spot number one hundred. Thus, when everyone save for those three had arrived, Kai reluctantly let go of Nyx's hand and stood up, calling the meeting to order.

The first parts of it flew by, Akira scribbling down notes. His job as the fifth best player was to act kind of like a secretary during all meetings, creating a basic transcript that would be stored in the archives for future reference. It was mostly business stuff - discussion on what stages to put on the rotation, updates on how the construction of new stages such as Piranha Pit and Ancho-V Games were going, and mentions of up and coming inklings who could possibly be future members of the House. Things did not get interesting until Kasumi stood up from her seat.

"Permission to address the House?" She rolled her eyes a bit at the formalities as she asked her question. It was a necessary thing. Governments had to have some sort of decorum after all. Most inklings at this point, however, weren't exactly fond of this sort of ritualistic talk.

"Permission granted," Kai replied, the faintest hints of a sigh in his voice. Kasumi carefully picked her way around the other inklings seated on the raised platform and hopped off the edge before walking to the middle. Turning, she faced the others and pointed as Pandora.

"As it is within my rights as a member of the House, I challenge the player directly above me to a battle for their spot," the pale blue inkling declared. There was no doubt a confident smirk adorning her face beneath the shadows cast by her hood. Pandora glanced over at Kai for permission before also standing up, remaining at her seat.

"I accept," she said gravely, resisting the urge to throw in any sort of banter. "We fight at sundown."

Kasumi nodded before returning to her seat, Pandora also sitting down. Excited whispers broke out among the other members of the organization. It had been a long time since such a high ranking member challenged another to a trial by combat. The fact that the weapons master, Pandora, was one of the ones who would be fighting only made it more interesting.

"Silence." At Kai's command the chatter faded away, replaced by nothingness. Any tiny source of sound would have been audible in the stillness, which hung there for a long moment before Kai broke it again.

"We have one more matter to attend to," he proclaimed before rising to his feet. "As you know, Ash Morrissey resigned from his position in the House several months ago. We have found a suitable replacement for his spot. Larissa and Trent are fetching him now."

As if on cue the great double doors of the elevator opened, revealing three inklings. Larissa and Trent were dressed in the same guise as the other members of the house, flanking an orange tentacled inkling with a hydra splatling. Silently the pair guided him down the steps so he was standing in front of Kai before returning to their seats.

"Welcome, Ryker Eeleger," Kai announced, looking down at the teen. "You are here because we in the House of Hundred have taken note of your skills on the battlefield, and wish to welcome you to our ranks. If you become one of us, you must swear to uphold all rules of the House, to listen to those ranked above you as they are your superiors, and above all never tell a soul outside of those who are sitting or will one day sit in this room about all that goes on in here. Do you swear?"

"I swear it." Ryker crossed his arms, apparently fed up with the proceedings already. Kai took note of this, figuring that a few losses would knock his attitude down a peg or two.

"Then we welcome you as one of us." Kai flipped his hood down and removed the bandana, allowing Ryker to see his face. Around them the others did so as well, a ritual that showed they accepted this newcomer as one of their own. "Your trials by combat will begin shortly. You will fight your way through the members of the House until you are defeated."

Here he paused, glancing at his companions to his left and right before continuing on in his speech.

"Of course, that does mean you may become one of the top ten if you are skilled enough. And, assuming you can defeat all ninety-nine inklings, myself included, you will become the leader of the House. Do you understand?"

"Yep."

"Good." Kai raised his voice to address the rest of the room. "You all have thirty minutes to prepare. After that I expect you all to gather in the arena for the combat. Trent, make sure Ryker doesn't get lost. You are all dismissed."

At his words the atmosphere instantly became much more relaxed. Several of the younger members scurried from their seats, heading back to their rooms to grab weapons and change into their gear. More likely than not they'd be fighting today, trying to keep their seats. Only time would tell if they all would be successful.

"Man, am I glad to have this thing off my face," Kasumi sighed with relief as she tied her bandana around her arm. "It makes it so hard to breathe. We should change to wearing gas masks or something, that way we aren't stuck with facefuls of fabric."

"So, how far do you think Ryker's going to make it?" Pandora smirked. "I bet he'll be in the seventies."

"He will be where his skill level allows him to be," Nyx answered before standing up. Although the chances of her actually having to try to defend her seat today was rare, the sniper preferred to be prepared anyway.

"Nyx, wait," Kai caught her hand as she moved to go, pulling her back to his side. "Look, after Ryker does his battles and Kasumi and Pandora duke it out, meet me on top of Inkopolis Tower, okay? I want to show you something."

"Oh, you can go now lovebirds," Pandora teased. "We'll stop Ryker before he gets to your spots."

"Regulations require us to be there. Me especially since I must document his successes and losses." Nyx shook her head before looking back up at her boyfriend. "I will be there waiting for you, love."

True to her word, several hours later, when it was dark and the moon hung high in the sky, Nyx stepped out onto the observation deck of Inkopolis Tower. A slight summer breeze was blowing, the warmth a welcome thing in the coolness of the night. Stars were sprinkled here and there in the night sky, tiny pinpricks of light against the unending blackness. All was calm and quiet. Inkopolis, for once, was in a peaceful state of existence, the hustle and bustle gone. Inklings may have enjoyed turfing the battlegrounds and chilling with their friends in the plaza, but come nightfall the city was much quieter than during the day.

Looking around, the cephalopod hybrid sighed as she realized Kai hadn't arrived yet. Idly the sixteen year old wandered over to the railing, gazing down at the city below in silence as she thought about the past. At times it was hard to believe how much her life had changed these past two years, ever since she had moved out of sleepy old Squidston Village forty miles to the south. She had gone through so much - learning how to snipe,becoming part of the House of Hundred, meeting Kai and becoming his girlfriend - that it hardly seemed real at times.

"Oh, you're already here." Kai was suddenly standing next to her, leaving Nyx to wonder just how long she had been lost in thought. "Sorry I'm late, had to deal with the newcomer."

"...I still can't believe he made it all the way up to fifty-five…" Nyx muttered, a somewhat frustrated look on her face. "Especially with his temper issues."

"Yeah, I know," Kai shrugged. "But rules are rules. He fought for the spot and won it, so he gets to keep it. I did lecture him a bit over keeping his anger under control though. Hopefully he'll end up being friends with the people around him and that will help him keep his cool."

"Hopefully, but I doubt it." The girl shook her head and sighed. "People like him don't just cool off because they meet someone."

"True…"

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence for a few moments, leaning against each other as they observed the dark silhouette of the city they lead.

"Hard to believe it's been two years since we met, huh?" Kai eventually broke the stillness. "Remember how cold you were to me at first? I thought for sure you hated me and was planning on killing me in my sleep."

"Heh...that was mostly my frustration at me letting you get in that close during our battle," Nyx admitted. "I'm always hard on myself like that."

"Yep. But somehow, we ended up becoming a couple."

"That still shocks me some days." The black tentacled inkling sighed, tracing the ornate patterns of the fence they were leaning against with a hand absentmindedly. "Not that I'm complaining about that of course."

"Neither am I...although I don't want to be boyfriend and girlfriend anymore," Kai confessed, causing Nyx to stiffen.

"Wait, what?" She turned to face him, only to pause as she noticed that he had dropped down to one knee and reached out to grab her hand, fumbling in his pocket for something.

"Nyx Katsumi Coralton, you are the most perfect girl in the entire world," he began, a smile on his face as he pulled a ring box out of his pocket and opened it up. "Meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and there aren't enough words in our language to express just how much I love you. So...would you marry me?"

Nyx blinked a few times, blushing a faint red color as her brain tried to process what exactly was happening. It took several minutes for everything to finally click, but when it did a smile broke out on her face and she leaned down to kiss him on the forehead.

"Of course I will, love," she said softly, the smile still on her face. Kai's expression morphed into one of relief, and he took the silver band out of the box before sliding it onto her ring finger.

"You have no idea how happy I am to be the lucky squid that gets to love you," he whispered as he embraced her. Nyx smiled up at him before leaning her head on his shoulder.

"You took the words right out of my mouth, love…"

* * *

"Urgh…"

Groans filled the air as Sebastian slowly woke up, head all fuzzy from the sedatives. A few glances around showed that he was in some sort of troop transport, all tied up in chains and handcuffs. A quick attempt to get out of them by slipping into his octopus form revealed that somehow, inexplicably he was stuck as a kid.

"Save your energy, traitor," a guard sneered as she kicked him in the head. "You'll need it where you're going."

"What's going on?" Sebastian demanded with a wince. "Where's my sister? What happened to the blue octolings?"

"You kicked him too hard, Octavia." An octoling with kelp woven into her tentacles entered the room, a frown on her face. "He's talking nonsense."

"Amira and I got caught by blue tentacled octolings!" Sebastian insisted, a panicked look on his face. "They glowed in the dark and had sickly green skin and-"

"Ah, shut up!" Octavia kicked him in the head again. "You stupid traitor! Quit your delusional ramblings before I decide to shoot you!"

"Octavia, enough!" Odette's voice was sharp. "Remove yourself from this room, now. I will deal with your punishment later."

Octavia grumbled but exited the room. Odette took a few moments to compose herself before addressing the male on the floor.

"I apologize for her actions...she has to work on that temper of hers…" The elite's voice was stiff, as if she did not like having to talk to a prisoner. "Now then, to answer your questions in order. First off, Amira is behind you, though she hasn't woken up yet. Secondly, there are no such thing as blue octolings. Some of the guards that make sure the labs are kept safe captured you. The blue octolings must have been a hallucination caused by the drugs."

"But-"

"No interruptions," she ordered. "Finally, as for what's going on, you and Amira have officially been exiled to the surface. You really are lucky, you know that? If it weren't for the fact that you're cousins to one of the higher ranking generals you'd have been killed outright."

"Not like it makes a difference...the inklings are going to kill us…" Sebastian grumbled, a frustrated look on his face.

"Probably, but you should have thought of that before trying to sabotage our forces." Odette's voice was cold. "Don't even think about trying to sneak back into Octarian teritory. You're already marked as outcasts. Anyone who sees you will not hesitate to kill you on sight."

Sebastian glanced downward, cursing their bad luck. Yes it was great that they weren't dead, but knowing the King, he would have ordered them to be dropped off in a populated area. The inklings wouldn't hesitate to either kill them or capture them so they could become lab rats. Exile was essentially a death sentence in its own right.

Frustrated the boy lapsed back into silence for the rest of the ride. Amira woke up a while later, and was given the same spiel as Sebastian was. The girl let out a whimper when she heard that they were going to be tossed on the surface, and curled up into a ball next to her brother. If Odette felt any pity for them she did not show it, instead watching them like a hawk would watch a mouse.

An eternity seemed to pass, but eventually the transport ground to a halt, the ufo lowering so that it was just over the ground. They were in an area near Bluefin Depot, desolate and surrounded by ruined buildings. Roughly the two siblings were pushed off the flying saucer, landing on the hard packed earth below with dull thumps and muffled groans. Odette stared down at them with what seemed to be contempt for a minute before retreating back inside.

With a quiet whirring sound the machine drifted back into the sky before jetting off, leaving the octolings stranded in enemy territory.


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Hey, Nyx! Nyx! Wake up!"

Loud thumps at the door were what drew the girl from her slumber one fine morning a few days later. Groaning, the cephalopod hybrid slowly sat up, stretching leisurely before rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes. As she did so she caught sight of the silver band adorned with a single black onyx. Smiling, Nyx recalled all the hubbub and excitement that had occurred the morning after Kai's proposal. News about the engagement of the two best fighters in all of Inkopolis spread like wildfire throughout the House. Soon everyone knew what had occurred.

"Come on!" Pandora's voice startled the girl out of her thoughts and with a sigh she stumbled over to the door before opening it. Almost immediately Pandora darted into the room, followed by Kasumi, Larissa, and the current number thirty-seven, Flora.

"Morning!" They chorused, excited looks of glee plastered all over their faces.

"Morning…" Nyx groaned. "Why are you all in here so early?"

"Oh come on Nyx, did you forget already?" Flora piped up. "You're going wedding dress shopping today and you asked the four of us, as your bridesmaids, to come with you."

"...I did?"

"Yes, you did," Larissa said calmly, a voice of reason in the hurricane of excitement that was the other three girls. "You made an appointment at the Fresh Fins Boutique."

"Oh yeah...I did." Nyx blinked before groaning. "I need coffee...not fully lucid yet."

"Oh right, you aren't a morning person by any stretch of the imagination." Kasumi facepalmed before scurrying off to the small kitchen in the apartment. "I'll make coffee. Flora, Larissa, you start grabbing the stuff she'll need later. Pandora, get in here and make her some food."

Instantly the three girls sprang into action, bustling around the apartment. Nyx watched in bewilderment as Flora and Larissa began grabbing things like her wallet and a jacket, putting them by the door. Meanwhile, loud clunks and thunks echoed from the kitchen, coupled with the occasional yelp as mistakes were made. Soon enough, though, the smell of pancakes and coffee filled the house.

"You should go take a shower, pretty yourself up a bit!" Flora suggested, nudging Nyx towards the bathroom. "Think about it, you're going to need to look your best on your wedding day, it makes sense to look nice for the shopping too!"

"Um, okay, I guess…?" Nyx sighed and grabbed a change of clothing before ducking into the bathroom. She took a quick shower, rushing more so because she feared that the other three girls might unintentionally wreck her apartment than out of a desire to go out shopping. While a wedding was an exciting thing, white was not a color Nyx was fond of wearing, and dresses were not something that was part of her wardrobe.

The teenager was only in there for twenty minutes, but when she got out her friends had already gotten breakfast on the table. Nyx took a peek in the kitchen as she sat down, groaning internally as she saw the mess left behind. Pandora and Kasumi may have had good intentions, but they weren't exactly neat. Making a mental note to clean that up later, Nyx began to eat.

"So, what do you want your dress to look like?" Flora piped up as they dug into the pancakes.

"Not white, and not over the top," Nyx replied instantly before sighing. "I wish I could get a gray dress."

"Brides don't wear gray to the wedding, silly!" Kasumi laughed. "Maybe champagne or ivory or even pink, but not gray."

"Have you and Kai picked out the colors for the wedding yet?"

"No." Nyx sighed and shook her head in response to Flora's question, a frustrated look on her face. "I've tried talking to him so I can start planning the decorations and the flowers and your bridesmaid dresses ordered but he keeps on going other places. He's barely in his room anymore."

"Huh, that's strange…" Pandora frowned. "Come to think of it I haven't seen him a lot lately. How long has he been doing this?"

"Ever since he proposed…" The future bride to be sighed again, tracing the whorls and rings on the wooden table. "After he proposed we hung out on the tower a bit more, and then we had to go. He said he wanted to go pick up something from Spyke at the Depot - something for the wedding, he wouldn't tell me what it was - and then the day after he started acting weirdly."

"Wait...you don't think...he's cheating on you?" Flora yelped. Larissa rolled her eyes.

"Get real," she muttered. "Kai's not an idiot, and he loves Nyx with all his heart. There's no way he would cheat on her."

"But how else could you explain it?" Kasumi protested. "I mean, Bluefin Depot's in the seedier parts of town. You know what kind of crowd hangs out there."

"Stop it, now." Nyx's command brought order to the table, halting the rapidly brewing argument in its tracks. "I will not have you speaking of my fiance in that way, especially when he is not here to explain himself. More likely than not something came up with his family and that is why he has been so distracted and neglecting his duties as of late."

Silence reigned for a brief moment before finally, Pandora sighed.

"Yeah, you're right...he's probably just got family stuff he's stressing out over." She shook her head, bushing her purple tentacles back over her shoulders when they flopped forward onto the table. "Sorry for getting so worked up about it."

"It's fine." Koa took the last bite of her food before standing up. "Well, let's head out."

"Yeah!" The girls cheered and bolted for the door, Nyx following them at a much more leisurely pace. She'd take care of the dishes later after the shopping was done. After all, it wouldn't be good to be late.

Coincidentally enough, the quartet ran into Kai in the elevator. He was shifting from foot to foot, a somewhat nervous look on his face that only deepened when he noticed Nyx among the girls. Silently the teenager moved to stand by his side, resting her head on his shoulders.

"So...are we going to be able to meet today to discuss some aspects of the wedding?" She asked casually as he slipped an arm around her waist to pull her a bit closer to his side. "I can't really do a lot of the things that are my responsibility until we have that conversation."

"Um, yeah, sure," Kai nodded, sweating bullets as he noticed the others covertly looking at him with subtle death stares. "How does three o'clock in my apartment sound? You have the spare key."

"Sounds good to me." Nyx was relieved to finally make some progress towards the planning. "I shall see you then, love."

"Yep." Kai quickly kissed the top of Nyx's head. "I love you, Nyx."

With that, he ran out of the elevator as if Pandora had decided to chase him around with her roller. The girls watched him go in confusion before letting out a collective sigh.

"Yeah, that was weird alright," Flora muttered as Nyx led the way to the side exit. They weren't going to trek through the alleys today, instead taking the more direct route to a quiet side street. Was it the tiniest bit riskier? Of course, it was, but they were in a hurry. Besides, the quintet was going to be careful. After all, it wasn't like they were going to be strutting around town carrying signs that said they were part of the House.

"Do you even know what you want your wedding dress to look like?" Flora asked, poking Nyx as she spoke.

"Not really…" Nyx sighed. "Like I said, I don't wear dresses so I don't know what I like or dislike about them. And no, that doesn't mean that you all can dress me up. I will see what I think looks nice."

"Rats, I was hoping to put you in a ballgown with a big poofy skirt.," Pandora groaned, causing Nyx to shudder and shake her head.

"No...that's way to attention drawing."

"Nyx, this is your wedding we're talking about, remember?" Kasumi skipped in front of the girl before turning around to face her, walking backwards. "You're going to be the center of attention."

"Not if Kai and I elope," she replied with a smirk.

"You two wouldn't dare!" The three chorused, causing Nyx's smirk to widen.

"Want to bet on that?"

"Well, even if you two do elope, we'd still be there. I mean, you did ask us to be your bridesmaids." Larissa pointed out. "And whoever you pick for the maid of honor will be there too."

"I might not have one," Nyx shrugged as they reached Fresh Fins Boutique. "If I do it will be my mother, but it depends on if she can make it into town for the wedding."

"Who's going to walk you down the aisle, since, well, you know…" Pandora trailed off a bit awkwardly, embarrassed for having brought the topic up.

"Since my father isn't around anymore?" Nyx finished the other girl's sentence with a somewhat irritated look on her face at the mention of the man who had been her father. "I don't know. That cheating scum, however, is not invited, not after everything he put my mother and me though."

"Come on now, no thinking about that." Flora chided. "This is supposed to be a happy day! Think happy thoughts! Let's go!"

With that, she charged into the business, followed eagerly by Pandora and Kasumi. Larissa and Nyx were left outside, the latter of the two sighing.

"...sometimes I question how I became friends with them...they are all so hyperactive and cheerful…"

"The world works in mysterious ways, I suppose," her companion said in response. "If they get too rowdy I shall reign them in a bit."

"Thank you," Nyx nodded before sighing again and walking towards the door. "Well, best to get this over with...too bad I can't get married in my turf war gear..."

The weeks slipped by like sand through a sieve, spring slowly warping into the hot and dry days of summer. Inkopolis was busy as ever, trains bringing new inklings into town, ink battles taking place all over the city, and businesses were raking in higher profits than ever before. The residents of the great metropolis were happy, content with their lives. All seemed well. However, while all was well on the surface, there was a problem that lay deep beneath the public eye, a problem that was festering, growing, and could potentially cause chaos it not handled properly.

It was this problem that was on Nyx's mind as she sat by the large floor to ceiling window in her living room, gazing out over the plaza below. From this high up the inklings and other sea creatures were mere smears of color, droplets of paint splattered against the gray canvas of the asphalt. They had no idea what was wrong, what could happen if things continued to go down this path. This problem could threaten the very order and stability of the House itself, which in turn could bleed out into Inkopolis.

The sound of a door opening up drew her out of her thoughts, and the black tentacled cephalopod turned around to look at the very problem she was thinking about. None other than Kai McReefling, her fiance and direct superior in the House, stood at the door. There was a sheepish look on his face as if the boy already knew what he had been summoned for.

"Hello, love," he said quietly, walking over to sit on a futon next to her.

"Greetings, Kai." Nyx's voice was stiff and formal, not at all loving and full of subtle niceties. It was clear that this was a business meeting, not one for pleasantries and cuddles. Kai winced, knowing that she was irritated with him.

"Where were you at the meeting today?"

"I had something unexpected come up," Kai sighed. "It's just one meeting."

"We have had one meeting every week for the past five weeks, plus there were two top ten councils as well," Nyx replied in a steely tone, glaring at him. "And yet for all of those gatherings you were either late or simply did not show up at all."

"I had things come up...I'm busy, Nyx, my family's going through some hard times," Kai had a sad tone to his voice. Nyx softened just a tiny bit at that news but didn't lose her anger completely.

"I understand that things come up sometimes, Kai," she said in a gentle but firm tone. "But if it gets to the point where these other things interfere with your duties to the House, then you have to either take a lower position or leave the organization for a time like Ash did. He had to go home to tend to his ailing parents, and thus he left the organization because he couldn't fulfill his duties to us and take care of them. There is no shame in leaving for a while."

"It's not that simple, Nyx." Kai looked like he was going to say more but stopped himself. "Just...I'll figure something out, okay? I don't want to pass the burdens of leadership onto you."

"You and I both know I could handle it for a period of time if necessary."

"Could you handle it for years, though?" Kai inquired, standing up and beginning to pace in front of the window. "This isn't something where I can take a six-month temporary leave and then come back and fight you to regain my spot, love! This is something that could take me years, maybe even decades!"

"...what exactly is going on?" His fiance's question was quiet, filling the air after she digested that new information for a few minutes. Kai glanced down to the side, hands clenching into fists, a pained expression on his face.

"Nothing that concerns you…"

"I want answers." Nyx crossed her arms, the angry glare back on her face. "Not because I am your fiance, but because this could easily threaten the stability of the House and Inkopolis itself."

"You think I don't know that?" Kai turned, raising his voice to a yell. "I'm not dumb, Nyx, I know fully well that missing House meetings and meetings with the other ten best players and not running the House well could lead to chaos! I'm not some stupid child, I've been doing this for years Nyx! Years! I am well aware of the potential consequences of my actions!"

"Then start acting like you know what you're doing rather than sticking your head in the sand!" Nyx retorted hotly, also rising to her feet so she could stare him down. "You aren't five years old, Kai! Quit acting like you are!"

Kai stared at her furiously for a minute before his cell phone buzzed, pulling it out of his pocket he looked at the caller id before redirecting his gaze back to his fiance.

"I have to take this call," he said in a stiff and gruff voice. "Good night."

With that he stormed out of the apartment, the door swinging shut behind him with a loud thump. Nyx scowled in his general direction before sighing and sitting back down.

"Admittedly that was not how I wanted it to go," she muttered aloud, fuming a bit at her future husband's childish actions. "I get that no one likes to give up power, but it's for the good of the city, and it's not permanent. I'm not asking him to do anything crazy, just step down for a few months. And given that he knows I'd rather not be the leader, it should be clear to him that I am not doing this as a power grab."

The cephalopod hybrid sighed and went back to watching the city, slowly letting go of her anger for the moment. It wouldn't do her much good to sit and stew in her rage, after all. There were things the girl had to do before turning in for the night, and even then it was still early. The clock had only just struck seven, and she still had several more hours before it would be a good time to go to sleep.

It was the dead of night when she awoke, having only gone to bed two short hours ago. Nyx was not sure why she had awoken, only that there was a faint, nagging sense of dread crawling down her spine. Something was wrong, what the girl didn't know, but something was terribly wrong.

Scarcely had that thought crossed her mind did the door to her bedroom fly open, revealing a very grim looking Pandora standing in the doorframe. Behind her was Kasumi, an equally serious look adorning her face. If Nyx had not been on alert before, she certainly was now - those two were only serious when something had gone terribly wrong.

"What happened?"

"Trouble," Kasumi replied tersely, a rather irritated look on her face.

"There's a problem with the respawn pads," Pandora reported. "They're glitching out, malfunctioning during turf wars. Inklings that got splatted aren't coming back."

"Are they dead?" Nyx instantly got out of bed, any lingering drowsiness swept away by this troubling revelation. This was some bad news, catastrophically bad news. Something like this could, and most likely would spur some sharp and unwelcome reactions from the citizens.

"For all intents and purposes, yes." The purple inkling nodded, her voice grave. "We already sent out Larissa, Zane, Yusei, Fabio, and Akira. They have some knowledge of computers and are trying to bring the system back online."

"Theoretically if the system gets recovered, the inklings that were splatted should respawn."

"Well, then we better hope they get back online quickly…" Nyx mumbled in response to Kasumi's statement, only to frown as something occurred to her. "Wait a second...why are you telling me this? Something like this should be reported to Kai."

"Kai's not in his room, we already checked." Kasumi sounded very irate. "He's AWOL again, and at the worst possible time too."

"Well, we can't wait for him." Nyx frowned, planning on lecturing the other inkling later about his absences. "I will take charge. Wake the others, and tell them that there is an emergency House meeting in thirty minutes, understand?"

"Got it!" The two ran out of the room, heading off to execute their mission. Nyx watched them go for a moment before turning to the window, wincing as she could already see the glow of fires as riots started to break out.

"Where are you Kai…" She frowned, tightening a hand into a fist for a minute, before turning on her heel and marching out the door.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Anxious murmuring filled the air inside the House's meeting chamber, inklings filing into their seats quickly. Nyx stood in the center of the floor, pacing back and forth, a scowl on her doubt she was wondering where Kai was, especially since they need him now. This was an emergency, no, forget it being merely an emergency, this was a catastrophe. How many inklings were possibly dead because of this? Nyx didn't know and didn't want to know.

To her dismay, and fear, once everyone got settled there were a fair number of seats empty. Some of them were explainable, the ones who had gone out immediately to try and fix the respawn pads. But others were inexplicably lacking an inkling sitting in their spot. It was then that she noticed the nervous glances, some mixed with fear, thrown at those empty seats. The others were scared that some of their colleagues were gone. Nyx was terrified as well. Kai wasn't here, perhaps he had gone out for a bit of late night turfing and gotten splatted at the wrong time? But much as she hated to do so, Nyx forced those thoughts aside. Right now, much as it pained the cephalopod hybrid to do so, she had to put her personal feelings aside.

"As Kai is not here, it falls to me as the second best fighter in all of Inkopolis to lead the House in his absence," she proclaimed, causing the subdued murmurs and whispers to fade out. "As you can see, our numbers are much thinner right now. I am aware of Larissa, Zane, Yusei, Fabio, and Akira's absence, but I do not know where the others are. If anyone knows, please, speak up now."

"Langston went to go turfing," someone called out.

"Yeah, so did Claire and Violet."

"I think I saw Preston, Ray, Davonte, and Jazzlyne heading for the tower a while ago."

Other names were called out, naming most of those that were gone. Much to their current leader's dismay, however, Kai's wasn't one of them. It seemed that no one knew where he was, something that made Nyx's heart skip a beat in fear. The teenager sighed, taking a moment to compose her thoughts before continuing to speak.

"No doubt you are confused as to what has occurred. There was an unfortunate glitch with the respawn pads earlier this night, preventing inklings who were splatted from respawning. Riots have started breaking out in response to this."

Gasps echoed through the chamber, before more anxious whispering broke out, murmurs and hushed words flying around the circular room. Nyx let them process things for a minute, let them turn to their neighbor and confirm what they thought they had heard, before holding up a hand. Her gesture caused silence to fall on the now tense group of inklings, waiting for her next words.

"Akira, Yusei, Fabio, Zane, and Larissa went out to try and fix the system. They are safe, at least, from being trapped, though I do not know if the same can be said about our other colleagues who are missing." The sixteen-year-old sighed, a grave look on her face. "I do not tell you that to alarm you all, merely to reinforce the gravity of the situation."

"What are we going to do?" Ryker demanded, standing up at his seat. "We've got riots coming and some of the best battlers in Inkopolis could be dead, and we're sitting around here while you take your sweet time telling us what's going on!"

"Silence!" Nyx snapped, glaring at him. "You are forgetting your place, Ryker. If you want things to run differently, then get strong enough to be considered number one. Until then, you will listen."

Ryker flinched but sat down, grumbling under his breath. Liam, who was sitting next to the teen, elbowed him in the side and spoke something to the boy, a harsh look on his face. It was not clear what he had said, but given how Ryker's scowl only deepened it wasn't anything to cheer the boy up.

"Any members of the top ten still present, you will come with me." Nyx glanced back at Pandora, Kasumi, and Flora before redirecting her attention to the other inklings in the chamber. "The rest of you, change into your uniforms and go out into the city. Anyone with technical expertise is to find one of the five I mentioned earlier and assist them in bringing the system back online. Those who have medical skills, you will be setting up a makeshift hospital in the lobby of this building. Elevator access to the bottom floors will have to be temporarily disabled so prying members of the public don't try to get into other areas of the building. Everyone else, you are to go and break up the riots. Take your weapons, but do not splat people, understand?"

"Understood!" Approximately seventy voices echoed around the room, the thunderous shout echoing off the walls and ceiling. Nyx nodded once before gesturing at the doors.

"Good. Then go get to work. Send any injured to the hospital or the infirmary set up here."

Inklings flooded out of the room at her dismissal, some with fear in their eyes, others with serious looks on their faces. Once the meeting had officially come to a close the hushed chatter started up again, no doubt spurred by worry for their friends and groups coordinating where they would go in the city. Nyx waited for them to go before flinching as a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"Easy, it's just me," Pandora said calmly. "I'm sure Kai's alright. You know how hard he is to splat."

"He's not invincible," Nyx replied quietly, hand clenching up into a fist again. "A bomb in the right place, someone using a kraken or other special unexpectedly, or even just plain misfortune and falling into water could do him in. It's hard not to worry."

"I know." The girl sighed and took her hand off of Nyx's shoulder. "But he wouldn't want you to fret and worry about him right now, right?"

"Right…" The black tentacled inkling sighed again before squaring her shoulders and standing up a bit straighter. "You three go get changed and then meet me down here. We're going to send a message to every citizen in the city."

"We are? How?" Flora blurted out, a shocked look on her face.

"I'll tell you once you get back. Now go, and hurry!"

The three girls asked no more questions, instead running up the steps and into one of the open elevators right before the door closed. Nyx was alone in the room at last, and after standing there for a moment walked back to the table. Out of habit the partial squidling sat in her chair, directly to the right of Kai's place, and put her head in her hands.

"Ugh...why this...why now?" She sighed, trying to fight back frustrated tears. "Kai where are you? How come you're gone when I need you the most? I'm not a leader…"

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself, shove the storm of emotions aside. Yes, she was not a leader, that fact was true. But right now, Nyx was the one in charge. There could be no hesitation, no second-guessing on the girl's part. As the deputy leader in the House, whenever the best fighter was gone it fell to the second best to lead. The black tentacled girl composed herself, pushing doubts and fear into a box and locking them up. When she finally lifted her head out of her hands her dark gray eyes were narrowed in concentration and focus. No hint of emotion was there, any signs of life suppressed by the importance of her duty to her people.

"We're ba...Nyx? Are you okay?" Pandora was suddenly standing in front of her, having leaped down the stairs in her concern. Kasumi and Flora rushed down the steps behind the weapon master, similar expressions adorning their face.

"I am fine," Nyx replied curtly, her voice firm and unwavering. "Hoods up, bandanas on. We're going to be on camera shortly."

"Um...okay?" Flora shrugged but flipped her hood up and tied the bandana over her face. The others did the same, disguising their faces and thus their identities. "Could you maybe explain a bit more?"

"We're going to call Callie and Marie. They will put us through on a live emergency broadcast and we will then inform the rest of the citizens what is going on."

"Makes sense...if they'd stop for anyone, it would be for them…" Kasumi sighed and began helping Nyx set up a camera. "So after the broadcast, what are we going to do?"

"Head out into the city and help the others break up the riots and take the injured to the hospital or our makeshift infirmary." Nyx's reply was primarily a calm one, with only the faintest hint of uncertainty. This wasn't missed by the other three, who shot each other concerned looks.

"Okay...you sure you're okay? You seem kind of hesitant…" Pandora trailed off as Nyx pierced her with a cold glare.

"Whether or not I am okay is not a matter of concern right now," she replied. "This city is going to hell in a handbasket right now, and if we don't stop, people are going to die. My feelings do not outweigh the innocent lives at stake. Understand?"

"...yes, Nyx…"

"Good, then let's get started." Nyx pulled out her phone and dialed a number in it, the direct line to the Squid Sister's studio. Frowning she held the device up to her phone, listening to it ring, waiting for someone to pick it up.

"Hello? Who is this? How did you get this number?" Judging from the voice it appeared that Callie had been the one to pick it up. "This isn't a phone line available to the general public you know-"

"This is the leader of the House of Hundred," Nyx interrupted, not caring about manners at the time. "I need you to put myself, as well as the three colleagues with me, on a live emergency broadcast to the city now."

"The-the House? You're bluffing!"

"Now is not the time for jokes. Do it, now!"

"...fine...do you have a camera there that's hooked up to the Net?, and if so, what's its IP address?"

Nyx privately was a bit annoyed at Callie's sulking but didn't waste time calling her out on it. Instead, she gave the other inkling the information she had requested. Callie shouted it out to someone else in the studio, which was then followed by the sounds of muffled keys clicking in the background. With a touch of impatience, the sixteen year old waited, fingers drumming against the side of her leg in a random pattern.

"Okay, you're all set. You'll be live in sixty seconds."

"Good." Nyx set the phone down on one of the tables outside of the camera's viewpoint before walking over to stand in front of it with her friends.

"What exactly do you want the four of us to do?" Pandora inquired.

"Stand there and look serious."

"Gee, that's difficult…" Flora muttered, a flat look on her face, before stiffening as the camera's light blinked from red to green. They were live, being broadcasted on every screen in Inkopolis. No doubt the other sea creatures that lived in the city were looking at them, wondering who on earth they were.

"Greetings, citizens of Inkopolis." Nyx began speaking, looking directly at the camera. "I am the current leader of the House of Hundred. No doubt you are aware of the problem with the respawn pads malfunctioning during ink battles. As I speak, other members of the House are working on bringing the system online. We, however, cannot do this without your complete cooperation. All ink battles are being suspended until the respawn pads are functioning properly again."

Here she paused, taking a deep breath, before continuing her little speech.

"If you are injured, you should head to the hospital or to the lobby of the House, where an emergency infirmary has been set up. Anyone else should head back to their homes. Due to rioting, we are imposing an 11:00 curfew. People who break it will be escorted back to their place of residence. When we get the respawn pads working again, we shall update you on the status of the curfew and the reopening of ink battles. Until then, the House will be enforcing both of those."

Not having a good ending planned, she shrugged minisculely before moving to shut off the camera. The girl then picked up the phone, only to discover that Callie had hung up. No doubt the squid sister was annoyed with her as well, but right now the attitude of one idol was a small price to pay for getting that broadcast out.

"Well, that went rather well," Flora quipped, stretching lazily. "So, now what? I'm guessing we're going to head out and start enforcing that curfew?"

"Yeah, that and help the injured get treatment." Nyx slipped her phone into her pocket before walking towards the elevator. "Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner we restore order."

The others fell in step behind her, moving silently with a purpose. The trip up to the ground floor was swift, the still air only being broken by creaks and groans of the machine. Once the doors opened Flora, Kasumi, and Pandora darted out of the metal room and through the lobby, ducking under tables and dodging the few inklings who were putting the finishing touches on the emergency infirmary. Nyx remained behind, slipping a key card out of her pocket and sliding it through a slot in the elevator. Moments later the buttons for the other floors flashed red, signifying that they had been disabled.

"How goes the work?" The girl pulled one of the inklings rushing around aside, the boy stumbling a bit as he came to a sudden stop.

"Pretty well. We've had a few come in to seek treatment, but nothing too major." He sighed, glancing around the room sadly. "I fear that the worst is yet to come, though…"

"You're doing a great job right now," Nyx replied encouragingly, trying to lift his morale a bit. "Keep things running efficiently and you'll be fine."

"Yes ma'am!" The inkling saluted briefly before rushing off to do more work. Nyx watching him go for a moment before sighing and squaring her shoulders. Then, with a determined look on her face, she strode through the doors and into the night, nose wrinkling at the acrid smell of smoke. A fire, nearby, probably fueled by some sort of plastic judging from the smell. With a concerned frown, the partial squidling broke into a run in the direction, searching the night for a glow of some sort that could indicate the flames were near.

There, off to the right, a dim flicker of red crawling up into the atmosphere. Nyx instantly changed directions, heading for it. Buildings flew by her as she ran, darting past other residents of the city who looked at her with shock and a touch of awe. Normally that would have irritated the cephalopod hybrid, but right now was not the time for her to let little things like that get under her skin. She had a city that she had sworn to protect, and the time for her to fulfill that promise was at hand.

Suddenly the buildings parted to reveal a circular intersection. A fight was breaking out here, inklings attacking each other with fists and weapons, some kind of gang war. There were ten of them, probably two squadrons that had been in a battle when the ban had been struck down. Some of the cars nearby had been set on fire, though with what Nyx was uncertain. Frowning she pulled out her gun and fired a shot into the air, the blast piercing the furious cries and dull impacts of fist against flesh. More than one of the combatants jumped, looking around angrily to try and find the source of the interruption.

"Hey! What's the big idea?"

"Who's there? Who's trying to interfere?"

"The inkling that dared to fire that shot will be sorry!"

"Yeah! How dare they-"

"Silence!" Nyx's cold shout cut through their words as she walked out of the shadows, her weapon held in a defensive position. Gasps rippled through the crowd, some of them shivering from her frigid voice and rigid posture. In the darkness, she seemed like a wraith or a phantom, a creature of the night, insubstantial and terrifying. One or two of them broke and ran, legs trembling and weapons clattering to the ground in their haste. Nyx scowled in their direction before walking towards the rest of the frozen group.

"Who's idea was this?" She demanded, making sure the anger in her voice was very well apparent. Legs trembling, two of the inklings stepped forward, shame and fear etched onto their features. Nyx glared at them.

"You fools," she snarled. "The respawn pads aren't working and so you and your buddies decide that the best thing to do is to go out rioting, causing damage, setting fires, and otherwise try to kill each other! In what deranged universe do you think that is a good idea?"

They shuffled nervously, not answering. That, as it turned out, was not a smart move, as Nyx sighed in frustration and crossed her arms, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Well? I'm waiting."

"It's...not a good idea…" one of them muttered, shifting his weight from foot to foot.

"Y-yeah…" The other one nodded in agreement.

"Exactly," Nyx hissed, glaring at them both. More than one of the inklings flinched, now realizing that they were in some serious trouble. "I want both of your names, now. Expect a visit from the authorities in a few days. Normally I'd haul you all to the station myself, but I have more important things to do right now. Give me your names and then leave, and pray that I or one of my colleagues doesn't catch you breaking curfew. Are we clear?"

"C-crystal clear, ma'am…" They scribbled their names down on a sheet of paper that had been blowing down the street and then scrambled past the enraged inkling, dread apparent on their faces. Nyx watched them flee before sighing, trying to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Rage was great for terrifying rioters into obedience, but not for helping injured or taking care of pressing damage.

She sighed and moved over to the cars, coating them in ink to smother the flames. Even though it wasn't water, the wet liquid was enough to put the worst of the fire out. What remained was a pile of twisted and scorched metal, melted plastic, and still glowing embers. Nyx tossed a sprinkler into the center of the wreckage, black ink droplets casually dripping onto the ground and extinguishing the coals.

"...if this is how close rioters have dared to get to the plaza, I fear that the damage by the turf war arenas will be much worse…" Nyx sighed, only to jump as her phone rang. Frowning she sighed and shook her head, trying to still her racing hearts as she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Two? It's Ninety-Nine," Larissa replied. Her use of numbers rather than names told Nyx a great number of things. She was around other inklings, ones not involved in the House. For her to be in such a place it meant that either she was in the hospital or one of the battlegrounds.

"Any news on the respawn pads?"

"I got the ones in Moray working...no surprise since they were just replaced a few months ago so they're practically brand new. It's not that, though…"

"What of the inklings that were splatted during their malfunction?" For some reason, Nyx found herself dreading the answer. A tiny bit of icy fear tricked down her spine and doused her heart, leaching into her blood and causing her breath to freeze in her very lungs. Something could not be right, something about Larissa's tone told her that a grave problem had arisen.

"They respawned...but with grievous wounds inflicted upon their bodies." Larissa sighed sadly, in such a way that the partial squidling could almost picture the crestfallen look on her friend's face. "Sixty-Two was among them."

"One's prodigy? The one that he is training up and taken under his wing?" Nyx paled, skin and tentacles turning a ghastly white. "What happened to him? How badly is he injured? Is One there with him?"

"Easy, Two, easy…" Larissa murmured, trying to calm the girl down. "One isn't with him...Sixty-Two's alive, but he's got a lot of lacerations on his skin. Most likely they'll scar over. He already got sent to one of the hospitals in the area, the one on Angelfish Way."

"I'll pay him a visit later…" Nyx shook her head. "What do you know of the others, have they had any success in bringing the rest of the network online?"

"I haven't heard from them…"

"Then I'll check up on them. Text the others and tell them what you did to fix the respawn points online, then go get to work on another set of respawn pads. Don't forget to check the ones at the Battle Dojo."

"Roger that, Two. I'll get to work immediately."


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Nyx spent the rest of the night, as well as a good chunk of the next day, scurrying around Inkopolis. The city was a somber place, inklings, jellyfish, and the occasional crab or anemone moving silently through the city. Joy and mirth were gone, a gloomy atmosphere settling over the large metropolis. Ink battles truly were the lifeblood of the city, and now that they were gone the entire place had drifted into an almost comatose state.

The cephalopod hybrid was exhausted. Her feet ached, knees weakly shaking with every step. It wasn't any surprise, given that she was running on little sleep. Finally, though, it seemed that a break in the action was approaching. Most of the citizens were indoors, and Yusei had just called to inform her that the last respawn pads had been fixed and brought online. Finally, things were starting to slow to a calm. Normally this would be the time that Nyx would head back to her apartment and get some much-needed sleep. But there were still things that she wanted to do, such as dropping in on the injured members of the House. Thus, despite the complaints from her aching body, she directed her feet towards Angelfish Way.

The hospital was a large silver and white building, fashioned from concrete and glass. It looked a bit foreboding, almost like an institution rather than a place of healing. Nonetheless, though, this was where the others had been taken, and it was here that Nyx found herself now.

"...it is a day like this where I realize just how much I hate hospitals…" The girl sighed but walked through the doors and headed over to the receptionist's desk. Her uniform brought whispers and stares, things the girl tried to ignore. The very thing that drew attention to her, though, also served to repel the other sea creatures from approaching her. It was both a blessing and a curse.

"Ah...can I help you?" The anemone sitting behind the desk looked up as she approached, his clownfish companion swimming around in between the silky plant-like protrusions that covered his head.

"I'm here to visit the people that were injured by the respawn pad malfunction last night," Nyx replied calmly. "As many of them who are willing to receive visitors, that is."

"Of course...normally I would ask for ID but I recognize you as the leader from the broadcast last night." The anemone nodded and typed a few things into his computer before printing out a badge. "This is your visitor's pass, and I put a list of the ones who are willing to see people on the back of it for you. If you go up to the third floor and then hang a right you'll see signs leading to the ICU. They'll be in there."

"Thank you," Nyx replied politely as she grabbed the plastic card before heading off towards the elevators. It was an old creaky thing, not at all like the sleek and modern steel contraption inside of the House. Dings and groans filled the air as it slowly inched its way up to the third floor, Nyx subconsciously tensing as she expected it to fall at any moment. Fortunately, by some stroke of luck, the cables held, doors sliding open to allow a blast of hospital air to enter the small room.

Nyx's nose wrinkled as the disinfectant assaulted her nostrils, the chemical perfection burning away germs and nerve endings. Everything was stark white or dull gray, steel chairs occasionally dotting the hallways as the girl ghosted down them. A few visitors, family of the injured no doubt, occupied them, and they glanced upwards at the girl as she moved past. Sighing she checked the back of the pass, searching for a certain name upon it.

"Room 367, hm? Let's see," she mused, glancing at the numbers on the wall. The one right next to her was emblazoned with number 359, and gray eyes flickered down the hall searching. With a confident gait the teenager walked through the building, finally stopping at the proper doorway. With a sigh, she raised a fist and rapped sharply on the door, knocking in a pattern.

"Come in…" A weak, muffled voice answered her call. Nyx frowned but opened the door, wincing at the squealing noise that echoed in the air because of it. The room behind it was just as white as the outside, a false pureness blinding both patients and visitors. A window was open, pale curtains fluttering slightly in the breeze, a bed positioned near it. There, lying in that bed, was a blue inkling male, Langston Dolphinium, number Sixty-Two in the house. He was in terrible shape, cotton bandages with the occasional dry blood stain peeking through the fine cloth covering his face. Only his eyes and the mouth were visible, the rest of his features hidden away.

"A member of the House...to what do I owe this honor?"

"I came to pay a visit to those that were injured," Nyx replied as she sat down in a chair next to the bed. When she spoke again, her voice was a whisper. "Are there any cameras in here?"

"No...patient privacy," Langston sighed in relief. "Hey Nyx...sorry I'm not in better condition right now."

"This isn't your fault, Langston," Nyx replied firmly. "No one could have predicted something like this happening."

"Yeah…" Langston sighed. "They say that I'll have scars...they're all over my face, Nyx. I need to get a mask to hide them otherwise I'll just be shunned and feared."

"I'll get you one so you can leave the hospital without attracting much notice."

"Thank you," the teenager sighed again and shifted slightly so he could better look at her. "Are the others okay? Have you heard from them?"

"A few of them are in the hospital, but I haven't visited them yet." Nyx frowned in annoyance, frustration evident in her voice. "The only one who hasn't been accounted for is my fiance."

"Kai? He's gone?" Langston's eyes widened and he struggled to sit up in bed, panic on his face. "No! Not him!"

"Langston, calm down! Quit moving otherwise you might open up your injuries again." Nyx pushed him back down onto the bed, stopping him from squirming around. "He's not dead, as far as I know, just missing. I haven't seen him since yesterday morning, more than likely he's out of town. Something could have come up with his family."

"I hope that's the case…" Langston sighed and slowly stopped squirming. Nyx breathed a sigh of relief before standing up.

"I have to go check up on the others, but I'll come back later with your mask, and news of Kai if I have any," she promised. "You take it easy, okay?"

"You got it, boss."

Koa gave a little half-smirk at the title before briefly saluting the teen. She then turned on her heel and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

"So...let's see what's-hm?" She paused, looking out the window with a furrowed brow. There, going into the building across the street, was a rather familiar looking inkling. Even from this distance and height, Nyx could recognize Kai from anywhere, and her hearts gave a little flutter as a wave of relief swept over her. So the true leader of the House was alive and well. As swiftly as she could in a dignified manner, Nyx darted out of the hospital and across the street. She had to go see him!

No sooner did those thoughts cross her mind, though, did the black tentacled inkling come to a screeching halt. Yes, Kai was alive, and that was all well and good, but where had he been last night? He couldn't have been visiting family, they lived two whole days away by train and Nyx had seen Kai yesterday morning. With that possibility eliminated, only one could remain. The teenager was shirking his duties once again. Rage bubbled up inside her blood, and with a scowl the girl stalked back to the House, resolving to confront him there.

Perhaps an hour passed while she waited in the lobby, silently fuming. The girl had by now changed out of her uniform as was wearing her normal clothing again, though the change in wardrobe hadn't changed her mood. Kai was in for the scolding of his life, and when the teenager strode in through the door she was instantly upon him like a shark on a fish.

"Where have you been?" She demanded, her fiance blinking and backing up a few steps. "Not only have I been worried sick about you there's been a full-blown crisis that you should have been here to handle!"

"Ah...Nyx! I uh...didn't expect to see you…" Kai flinched a bit, trailing off as his future wife glared at him.

"Save it," she snarled. "This is going too far, Kai! Bad enough you've skipped out on the last few meetings but now this? Are you seriously unaware of what happened last night?"

"I uh...know that there were riots. I was busy trying to get them calmed down in the older sectors. You know, the one near um...Bluefin! Yes, that's it, I was by Bluefin Depot trying to stop a few rioters!" Kai shifted nervously, obviously coming up with the story on the spot. Nyx snarled again and shoved him against the wall, pinning him there.

"What do you take me for, a fool?" She growled again, her voice full of rage. "The respawn pads malfunctioned last night, Kai, and we're lucky that no one died! As it is Inkopolis has sustained much structural damage, all ink battles have been suspended until we can ensure the respawn pads are functioning properly again, and the inklings that were unlucky enough to be splatted during the malfunction all got seriously injured."

Angrily she shoved him away, turning on her heel and storming towards the elevator.

"Several of our numbers were among those injured, including your protege," she snapped over her shoulder. "You might want to go check up on him if you actually can be bothered enough to care."

Kai trailed after her, protesting, but Nyx ignored him and stormed into one of the elevators right before the door shut. Silently she hit the button for the second floor from the top, and stewed in her rage as the machine raced upward. She couldn't believe the nerve of her boyfriend, to not only vanish unexpectedly without warning but to then lie to her face!

"How dare he…" She frowned, an irritated look flashing across her face. "Bad enough he's not even helping plan for the wedding, that's not even important compared to this! When we all joined the House we vowed to serve Inkopolis. He's blatantly ignoring that…"

Grumbling under her breath, the black tentacled inkling stalked to her room and shut the door, slamming it shut behind her. Once inside the teenager wandered into the kitchen, grumpily pulling out pots and pans so she could make some sort of quick meal for herself.

"Something had to have happened...he was faithful to his vow right up until the time he proposed to me…" Nyx sighed, confusion and frustration in her voice. "I don't think it's me, I haven't been acting any differently other than calling him my fiance rather than my boyfriend…"

Suddenly a sharp rapping echoed in the air, coming from the door. Annoyed, Nyx glanced in that direction before sighing.

"Scram Kai! I'm not talking to you right now."

"I'm not Kai," Pandora's voice floated through the door. "Can I come in? You sound upset."

"...Don't really want company...but fine. Come in, I guess."

There was a slight clicking sound as Pandora fiddled with the doorknob for a moment, accompanied by mutterings as the purple tentacled inkling tried to find the right card key. Eventually she swiped the correct one through the slot, and pushed the door open. The older teenager took a moment to take in the scene, before sighing and walking on over to Nyx. Carefully she pried her friend's hands off of the pan she was currently holding in a death grip before guiding her over to the table.

"Alright, talk," she sighed, sitting Nyx down in a chair before collapsing into one next to her. "What happened?"

Nyx kind of glared at her for a moment, a halfhearted one.

"I didn't invite you in for a therapy session," the cephalopod hybrid mumbled. "I pay someone for those you know."

"I'm not here for that, I'm just here to talk to you, that's all."

"..." Nyx sighed and slumped forward, languidly resting her arms and head on the table, idly tracing the wood grain with one hand. "I went to visit Langston and the others that got injured in the malfunction and I saw Kai."

"You did?"

"Mhm." Nyx nodded in response to Pandora's question, a touch of anger entering her eyes. "That insufferable fiance of mine decided to lie to my face when I asked him where he was. He said he was helping out near Bluefin but that's impossible. Flora, Fabio, and Yusei were over there and they didn't see him at all. And don't tell me it's a girl, Kai would never ditch the city during a crisis for a potential lover."

"You're right, he wouldn't do something like that…" Pandora trailed off into silence, confusion etched across her face. Kai was an inkling driven by loyalty, be it to his family, friends, or city. Even if he had ditched Nyx for another girl - something that was practically unthinkable - he would not dare try to ignore his city. It would just go against the very core of his being.

"Exactly. So why would he lie about it?" Nyx frowned and raised her head slightly, trying to figure out this puzzle. "None of this makes sense at all…"

"It doesn't…" Pandora sighed. "You don't think we'll have to suspend him from his role, do you?"

"I fear we might have to...something I don't like saying." The partial squidling sighed and shook her head. "As it is though, he's been neglecting his duties for months now, something that we cannot allow. We honestly shouldn't have let it go on this long as it is."

"Should we move for a vote, then?" Pandora didn't look pleased with that suggestion. "I feel like we need more information first before proceeding. After all, what if something happened to him personally, or to his family? For all we know he could have gotten really sick or some injury and is just hiding it so he won't worry us or appear weak."

"...I'll follow him around for a while then." Nyx stood up, a hard and determined look adorning her face. "I know how to slip around the city without being spotted, all I need to do is get some different clothing, something to cover up my tentacles, and I'll be unrecognizable."

"Sounds good...I'll keep this a secret for now then." Pandora also rose to her feet, slinging her roller over her shoulder. "I'll try to keep an eye on him as well. Just, promise me that you'll do your best to stay safe, alright?"

"I will...thank you…"

"Anytime, Nyx," Pandora replied, a small smile on her face. "Anytime."

For three long weeks, Nyx stalked Kai, following him all around the city. She ditched her more traditional outfit for a sweater, long pants, snow boots, and a knit hat with a pompom on the top. It was something no one would expect her to be wearing, and thus her target didn't even realize he was being followed.

It was strange what her fiance was doing when he wasn't at the House. Yes, the blue inkling was making a greater effort to go to the meetings and otherwise fulfil his duties. It both was a good thing, yet also something that saddened Nyx. What on earth could have happened to him that it took her giving him a public scolding and then the cold shoulder for Kai to finally take his duties seriously once again? More importantly, why hadn't he told her? They were going to be married, for ink's sake! Nyx was going to be with him for the rest of her life to help him with things just like this, and yet he couldn't trust her with this secret? Perhaps he was trying to spare her feelings, but his silence just made Nyx hurt and worry all the more.

Nyx shook her head, sighing as she watched Kai walk out of a grocery store in the older parts of the city. They were about five blocks away from Bluefin Depot, and the surrounding area was all decrepit and full of rusted bridges and stone buildings being choked by crawling vines. A hauntingly beautiful area, to be sure, but also one of the rougher parts of town. Yet is was here that Kai was spending his time. The leader of the House would always come here with some kind of bag or mysterious parcel, taking it somewhere in the district. Nyx had tried to discover where he was leaving them, but the girl always lost him in the maze of buildings.

"You're not getting away from me today," she declared to herself in a whisper, standing up from her perch on the roof. Why she hadn't thought to use the roofs before was beyond her, but the idea had come to her the night before and she was eager to see if it would work well.

Eagerly, like some sort of airy spirit, she ran lightly across the tops of the roof, wind whistling in her ears. Here was like a second home for snipers like here, up in the air, high above those that ran about on the ground below. She was used to lingering such places, both for business on the battlefield and of her own accord in her free time. The height did not bother her, rather, she welcomed thbird'sds eye view it provided.

Kai was walking along the near-abandoned streets alone, occasionally greeting the few urchins and inklings that wandered out of back alleys and crumbling buildings. They seemed to have some sort of familiarity with him, evidence that this was not his first time walking these streets. Up above did Nyx observe this, following along with a suspicious look on her face.

Eventually, with a casual air, Kai slipped off the main roads and into a back alley. With a frown, Nyx followed, a hint of worriness rising up within her. This was where she usually lost her, deep in this black and dark maze entwined with building coated gray. Dirt pathways, rubble, trash, and the refuse of a once thriving city sector rank and decomposing among the weeds hiding his form from her eyes. It was quiet, the breezes broken up by the ruins so that not a single puff of air slipped through the channels. Here was where Kai went every day, and it was here than Nyx followed, only to lose him on foot.

Today, though, was not like the others. Today, perched high above, did Nyx follow her love through the maze, darting across creaky sectors of rotting planks and swinging from old leaky pipes across widening gaps in buildings. Here and there she caught flashes of blue in the dim lighting, the telltale signs of her love. Nyx smirked, pausing a moment to link a knee around the pipe she was hanging from, taking a brief break from her pursuit.

"You can't escape me forever, Kai," she muttered, shaking her head. Any sense of malicious glee, however, fled, when her quarry paused, looked both ways, and then slipped inside one of the largest buildings there. An old factory, smokestacks piercing they sky as a blunt spear, rusted red with iron's blood. Moments after he vanished did a old steel door, dinged and dented by the hands of time, slide shut. Nyx paled, dropping to the ground and rushing over, giving it a few testing tugs. The door held firm.

"Darn it…" She sighed and let go. "Pandora would be able to open this no problem, but by the time she gets here Kai will be long gone."

There could be no other choice. Nyx backed up, looking around the front of the building wildly. She had to find another way inside, and quickly. Time was of the essence, but time was something she didn't have. Eyes cast about, glancing right, left, upwards, and then widening. There, on the third and final floor, a broken window. Shards of yellowed glass littered the ground underneath it, indicating that it was a recent addition to the building. The jump up to it would be fraught with danger, but it was her only choice.

Stealing looks around to make sure she wasn't being watched, Nyx shifted into her squid form. The black cephalopod flopped onto the ground, tensing up as she focused on her target. With a violent explosion of motion, the teenager jumped high into the air, sailing through the window and landing inside, changing back into a humanoid. Clouds of dust kicked up upon her arrival, causing her to cough a few times. Her kelp splatterscope and ink tank clattered together, and the girl froze in terror. Did Kai hear here? If he did, she was screwed.

Silence was the only thing that met her ears and, after a few moments, Nyx allowed herself to relax and stand up. It appeared that the other inkling had not heard her slight commotion, a good thing. Nyx sighed with relief before beginning to look around the abandoned building, searching for a way down to the first floor. She found it rather unexpectedly, when the floor beneath her feet suddenly gave way. Despite herself, a short cry was ripped from her lips as Nyx fell through the air and crashed to the floor, landing partially on something hard and partially on something surprisingly squishy. Groaning, she slowly picked herself partially off the floor, only lift a hand to her head with a groan.

"Oh snap…"

As soon as those words registered Nyx's charcoal eyes flew open, and she glanced upwards to freeze as a bronze tentacled octoling met her eyes. The other female seemed to be just as surprised as Nyx was, for they only stayed there frozen, staring at each other. Groaning from below finally spurred the partial squidling to move, glancing downwards. A second octoling, also bronze, was directly underneath her. It didn't take a genius to figure out what had happened: Nyx had landed on one of the two octolings when she fell through the floor. Around this time was when something finally registered with the cephalopod hybrid: she was with two _octolings._

Quick as lightning did the second best fighter in Inkopolis scramble to her feet and back away, hands flying to her shoulder to pull her weapon free. Breathing quickly, she charged up a shot, aiming for the one on the floor.

"How are you here? Your kind are all dead," she demanded a bit hoarsely, caught off guard from the encounter. Seeing the two stiffen and inch backwards, Nyx frowned and tightened her finger on the trigger. "Answer me!"

"Wait!"


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The shout broke the still, tense air, causing the occupants of the room to turn as one towards the door. There, panting, standing in the doorway, was Kai. He had bags clutched in his hands, overflowing with food and medicine. They were summarily dropped on the floor and he rushed over to push the barrel of the kelp splatterscope away from the octolings. His actions caused his fiance's finger to slip off the trigger, letting the shot fly. Black ink shot through the air, piercing the window with a loud shattering sound and smashing the glass to pieces. They rained down, a thousand sparkling bits of grit spreading across the floor.

Nyx flinched, staring at the window, then at the octolings, then at Kai, who had wrenched her weapon away and was holding it nervously. She let out a great snarl of rage and shoved him forward, pulling the weapon back.

"So this is where you have been running off to!" She declared, darting backward and starting to prep another shot. "You have been neglecting your duties, ignoring the attempts to wrap up the restoration from the respawn pad malfunctions, not to mention the fact that you've been completely ignoring your fiance and soon to be wife, and for what? A pair of octolings? How dare you?"

"Nyx, I can explai-"

"You'll explain nothing! I am tired of your half-truths and pretty stories that dance around the actual events that occured!" Nyx shifted her focus to Kai, stalking after him. "You made a promise, Kai! Both to the city, and to me! Why do you throw them away now?"

"Nyx, please!" Kai had a pleading look on his face, one that practically screamed for help. This, more than anything, was what prompted the two octolings to run forward and wrap their arms around the enraged inkling.

"Hey, hey, easy now!"

"Yo, take a chill pill lady!"

Nyx growled and struggled against them, shouting profanities and yelling more angry words at her fiance. With a great amount of difficulty, they managed to get her to sit down on a crate nearby, holding her there nervously.

"Nyx, love, please calm down," Kai pleaded. "I promise I'll explain everything, okay, but I can't do that if you're freaking out like this."

The girl glared at him but slowly stopped struggling. On either side of her, the octolings let out great sighs of relief before carefully letting go of her. Kai sat down on a crate across from Nyx, and was soon joined by one of the octolings. The other one let out a slight giggle and dropped onto the floor in front of the duo, lounging there with a casual grin.

"This had better be good," Nyx muttered.

"Oh, it is, it is!" The octoling on the floor nodded quickly, tentacles flopping over her face. "Or should I say it's very bad? Cause it's really bad."

"..." The black tentacled inkling sighed, looking at her cautiously. How on earth could one be so happy over something that was apparently bad?

"Introductions first, I suppose," Kai mused aloud, looking over at the two octolings. "It'll make telling her easier."

"Hiya! I'm Amira Kelpster, and this is my lil' bro Sebastian!" Amira brushed her tentacles out of her eyes before waving cheerily at Nyx. "But you can call him Seabass, everyone does!"

"H-hello…" Sebastian shrunk back a little, still apparently nervous from Nyx's earlier outburst. "Um...are you going to tell us your name?"

"..." Nyx sighed. "I'm Nyx, and that knucklehead sitting next to you is my fiance."

"Oh! So you're the girl that Kai always goes on and on about!" Amira jumped up and zoomed over to Nyx's side, noticing the webbing and small spikes. "Ooh, and you're part squidling too! You're so pretty!"

"Um...thanks?" Nyx leaned away from the other girl, a bit unnerved by her hyperness. "So am I getting my explanation or not, Kai?"

"Ah, right…" Kai took a deep breath. "Where to begin…"

"The beginning, duh!"

"Amira, be patient," Sebastian scolded. "Start from when you ran into us, Kai."

"Right, that's a good starting point." Kai nodded, idly tracing patterns on the dusty ground with the tip of his boot. "You remember the night I proposed to you, Nyx, right? How I had to go back to Bluefin Depot to get something?"

"Yes, I remember."

"When I got there I saw some kind of aircraft. It looked like those ones the ancient landfish would talk about in some of the writings archaeologists have uncovered, you know, the ones called UFOs." Kai continued speaking ignoring the strange looks that Nyx was giving him. "Naturally I hid, trying to figure out what it was and why it was there. Suddenly a hatch opened up, and an octoling shoved two other ones out onto the ground before the ship left."

"Amira and I were those octolings," Seabass explained, fiddling with the ends of one of his bronze tentacles. "You see, octarians didn't go extinct after the Great Turf War. Amira and I are proof of that. Instead, they went underground and they've been rebuilding their army ever since."

"The leader, Octavio, wants to invade Inkopolis again, partially to take the land for his own people." Amira piped up, interrupting her brother. "But it's also out of a desire to get revenge, which is silly! I mean, most of us weren't even alive back then, why fight over it?"

Nyx frowned, not saying anything. How was this even possible? A whole society of supposedly extinct cephalopods was underground, and they were going to invade Inkopolis. That was an alarming thing to be certain. Now, inklings could fight, after all their society revolved around ritual combat. But turf wars were much different from an actual war, and fighting in very large groups would be difficult without training.

"Why haven't you told the House this, then?" The partial squidling was not pleased with that fact.

"Because they'll move to fight back right away, even though nothing's happened yet," Kai replied in a patient voice.

"This invasion won't be ready for at least two years," Amira added, flipping up into a handstand and beginning to casually walk around the room like that. "Seabass and I sabotaged them, set them back a lot. That's why we're up here, they caught us and exiled us to the surface."

"Yeah...we probably would have been killed if it anyone other than Kai found us…" Sebastian shivered, not liking that thought. Nyx frowned, feeling a touch of pity for the siblings. Being forced out of their homes into a world where they would most likely be killed certainly was not a simple matter. No doubt they both were fearful and uncertain about their futures, even though they appeared to be trying to downplay things.

"So what are we doing about it since the House isn't being notified?" Nyx demanded. "Even though I still think that we should tell them."

"...we're...going to fight them ourselves…" Kai admitted. "I don't think telling the House would be a good idea, but at the same time doing nothing will just lead to the city being put in danger. So I'm going to help Amira and Sebastian fight them."

"Yeah. Kai's been getting us supplies and such...all sorts of things." Seabass pulled out a small tablet that had some kind of list on it. "Once we get enough we're going to load it up on a boat and leave the city, go someplace else and establish a base of operations. From there, we'll work on infiltrating the octarian army and taking out key operatives or disrupting plans. With luck, we'll do so much damage that they'll have to call off the invasion."

"Wait you're leaving?" Nyx turned to Kai in horror and sadness, the emotions growing as the inkling nodded gravely.

"Yes. I promised to serve the city and keep it safe. This is the best way I can think of to do that."

"But what about our engagement! And the House, they're going to question things if you just up and vanish!"

"I know...but I have to do this, Nyx." Kai sighed and stood up, walking to stand by the broken window. "If I don't help Amira and Seabass, then how would I be able to live with myself knowing I haven't fulfilled my duty to Inkopolis?"

"..." Nyx turned away, trying to fight back tears. "...so what happens to me then?"

"You can come with us," Amira cheered. "The more the merrier, after all!"

"If you want to join us you're free to do so," Kai echoed. "I won't force you to leave, but you can't tell anyone else of this if you choose to stay, no matter what happens. That's an order, understand?"

"...I understand…" Nyx didn't sound happy about that at all. "When do you need my answer by?"

"We're leaving in three week's time at midnight," Seabass informed her, scribbling an address down before handing it to her. "Come to this location then if you want to go with us."

"Fine." Nyx stood up, stretching her aching muscles briefly before grabbing her weapon from the floor. She then brushed past Kai, not looking at him for fear that she would end up in another emotional outburst, even though her heart let out a pang of grief at her cold actions. The teenager then jumped out through the window, landing on the ground far below.

The days flew by like they were made of quicksilver, Nyx going through the motions expected of her but not really feeling any purpose behind them. A clouded fog of confusion left the partial squidling in a daze, the worries and fears in her mind leading her thoughts astray whenever she tried to make sense of what was going on. Kai was leaving, it was quite clear that he would not change his mind. Although the teenager loved Nyx, he had a strong sense of duty. If Kai felt as if teaming up with those two strange octolings was the best way to help the city he'd do it in a heartbeat.

Speaking of Kai, the tall blue tentacled fellow had been continuing his sneaking around, steady amounts of food, medicine, materials, and weapons vanishing out of his room soon after being brought home from the shops. No doubt they were being funneled out to the rougher parts of town, stowed away awaiting the day that the three cephalopods would leave Inkopolis. His presence at the House meetings was a rarity now, to the point where Nyx actually was hearing rumors of some of the younger members taking bets on whether or not he would show up. Needless to say, the instigators of this little betting ring were soon paid a visit by an extremely furious Nyx.

Sighing, Nyx rose to her feet and began to pace back and forth throughout her room. Time was running out for her to make her decision. Would she stay in Inkopolis and take up the mantle of the leader of the House of Hundred - something that practically every Inkling dreamed of? Would the black tentacled inkling follow her love, leaving all familiar territory behind? Or, even darker than the other options, would the partial squidling betray Kai and the two octolings to the House? She couldn't deny that those vengeful thoughts entered her head, a way of inflicting some sort of pain and punishment upon her fiance for shirking his duties and spurning her company. Nyx may have had a reputation of being calm and reserved, but buried deep within her heart was a spark of burning anger, red-hot rage paired with the power and willingness to hurt and harm. It was that anger that was trying to bubble up to the surface, erupt out in a spew of angry words and vicious actions.

It wasn't like he didn't deserve it, the darker parts of her mind whispered, almost in a seducing manner. Kai had neglected his duties to the House, leaving the others scrambling to pick up the slack. Even worse, though this was a selfish reason for anger compared to the health and safety of Inkopolis, he had dropped out of her life completely. Nyx and Kai were not perfect strangers, they were lovers, fiances, husband and wife to be. There was a wedding to plan, a grand celebration for their marriage. Yet this process, which should have been something they were doing together, was something that Kai ignored. He never wanted to go on pretty walks in the woods or fight it out on the battlefield together. It was as if he slipped out of her life completely.

It was a rather persuasive argument and had Nyx not learned to be swayed by logic the teenager might have fallen victim to those spiteful thoughts. At the moment a cooler head prevailed, though that did not mean she had made up her mind. It only meant that right now, despite those whispered temptations, Nyx had only decided to not betray her love at the moment. That could always change, but for now, the teenager was not inclined to turn into a vengeful spirit.

"Ugh...come on Nyx, think!" Nyx growled and shook her head, eyes casting about the room only to land on her kelp splatterscope. "Maybe I should go snipe some noobs...that would probably put me in a better mood and clear my head."

Deciding that that was a good option she laid hands on her weapon, removing it from its hook on the wall and slinging it over her shoulders. With an almost mischievous smirk - a dangerous look on her face - the teenager headed for her door. Suddenly it flew open, revealing Pandora standing there with a serious look on her face. An e-liter 3K was strapped across her back.

"Moray and Blackbelly are on the rotation, and judging from how riled up you sound, you need to get some serious sniping in," the purple tentacled inkling proclaimed, grabbing Nyx's wrist and dragging her down the hallway. "So we're going sniping together, and then you're going to tell me what's gotten you all upset."

"Um...okay?" Nyx blinked a few times, surprised that Pandora had overhead her. She didn't think she had been that loud, but perhaps she had been mistaken. Halfheartedly, the black tentacled inkling struggled to slip her arms out of the weapon master's steel grip, more so out of a sense of pride than anything else. Unfortunately, the other teen was not to be deterred and continued to drag Nyx out of the House and through the side door.

Nyx continued her protests all the way to Inkopolis Tower, not stopping until Pandora had registered the two of them for a string of battles and pulled her all the way to Blackbelly Skatepark. Only then did Pandora let go of Nyx's arms so she could properly grasp her charger.

"Pandora, I don't have-"

"You will have all the time in the world since I will not have you running about the House in a foul and vile mood," Pandora replied, interrupting the other sniper. "Snipe for now, and then we'll talk later, understand?"

Nyx rolled her eyes but shut her mouth, knowing that when Pandora got an idea in her head it would be quite difficult to dislodge it. And, though she hated to admit that her purple tentacled friend was right, Nyx had been planning on going out sniping anyway. Soon the great horn blared out over speakers, a signal that the battle was imminent. Two more Inklings rushed over to their spawn point, tentacles rippling as they changed colors to match the ink in the machine.

The time for words was gone. Begrudgingly, Nyx lifted her kelp splatterscope off of her shoulder and gave it a cursory inspection before narrowing her eyes in concentration. When the next trumpet sounded she sprinted off the spawn point, inking a bit of turf and tossing down a sprinkler before making her way to the sniping perch by the side alley. From there she set up camp, taking aim and casually picking off the enemy team.

Hours passed by as she lost herself in her sniping, occasionally catching sight of Pandora sneaking in kills with her e-liter. As much as she hated to admit it, the other girl was quite good with a sniper weapon, even if she didn't pull it out that often. All too soon for Nyx's liking, though, the time for battles ended and Pandora was dragging her to a private little cafe on a side street.

"Alright, spill, what's on your mind?" She asked after sitting down at one of the tables. "Don't tell me it's nothing, something had to have happened."

"..." Nyx looked at her flatly for a few minutes before sighing. "I talked to Kai...he's leaving the House."

"Wait...what?" Pandora blinked in surprise a few times. "Why?"

"I don't know...he won't tell me why...all I know is that he's leaving." Nyx shook her head and looked down for a few minutes. "He said I could go with him but…"

"...but you're torn between him and your duty to the House...is that it?" Pandora adopted a look of pity on her face, something that irked Nyx. The black tentacled inkling did not want to feel pitied, not in the slightest. In fact, that was perhaps the one emotion that Nyx despised more than anything else: pity. As far as she was concerned it didn't change anything about a situation and was therefore unneeded.

"Save the pity. You know how I feel about that," the older cephalopod muttered bitterly. "Pity won't help me, not in this situation or ever."

"Oh, right...sorry…" Pandora shook her head. "Well, regardless, what are you thinking about doing?"

"I don't know…" Nyx shook her head. "It's just so hard to pick...I love Kai, honestly, I do. But at the same time, we both have duties to the House, duties that extend beyond our love for each other. Leaving means abandoning those duties...and I don't even know why he's going...he just won't tell me."

"That sounds really confusing," Pandora murmured. "Can I ask a question though?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there a chance that this leaving would be temporary and that you two would be back one day, assuming you'd go with him?"

"Maybe? I don't know...there are so many unknowns in this situation." Nyx sighed and idly began tracing the woodgrain of the table. "I don't know why he wants to leave, what prompted it, or when if ever he'll be back. Literally the only thing I know is that he's leaving."

"Well...it sounds like this is quite the difficult situation…" Her companion shook her head, running a hand over her weapon. She had a look on her face as if she were lost in thought, concerned for her friend and the massive decision she was faced with.

"Yeah, no squidding, Sherlock."

"Look, I can't tell you what to do Nyx," Pandora shook her head and stood up. "But if I were in your situation, I'd do what would make me the happiest...yes Kai is your fiance but ultimately you should do what is best for you. Okay?"

"Okay…" Nyx appeared to be lost in thought. Do what was right for her? What kind of nonsense was that? But at the same time it made sense...she couldn't lead the city if her mind was clouded with thoughts and worries about Kai and his mission. It would be a disaster. Effective leaders could not afford to be distracted, not with the entire city depending on them.

Sighing, the girl stood up and shook her head before wandering out the door. Pandora's words were still bouncing around in her skull, taunting her and tugging at her conscious, as if they were demanding she make a specific choice.

"I have a lot of thinking to do…" The partial squidling shook her head again and sighed once more before directing her footsteps towards the House.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

All was dark as the two octolings loaded up an old speedboat, looking around nervously. Kai, meanwhile, was standing on top of some crates, keeping watch. So far no curious citizens wandering the night had come by them, nor did anyone try to stop them. It was, for all intents and purposes, a good thing - no one had alerted the House to his covert actions and exit. It seemed like Nyx had kept up that aspect of the bargain at least. But oh how the blue tentacled inkling wished that his fiance was here with them. No doubt her absence meant she had decided to stay in the city, something that left a dull ache in his chest. Kai would have much preferred Nyx to come with them but at the same time realized he couldn't exactly force his fiance into uprooting her entire life and leaving for strange territory.

"Okay, all set!" Amira's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he sighed, turning around in time to see the girl tie down the last box of supplies. "Now we just need to fake your death and we can get out of here."

"Amira, be a bit more respectful…" Seabass pleaded. "Maybe leaving here is easy for us but for Kai, it can't be a simple thing at all…"

"I know, I know," Amira rolled her eyes. "I'm just trying to lighten the mood a bit since his girlfriend isn't coming."

"Fiance," Kai corrected out of habit, a touch of sadness in his voice. "Nyx is my fiance."

"Eh, fiance, girlfriend, same difference." The female octoling shrugged, not at all concerned with the finer details. "I could call her your lady lover or your babe if you want."

"Call me that and I'll leave."

Kai stiffened and whirled around, just in time to see Nyx emerge from the shadows with a bag slung over her back and kelp splatterscope in hand. Given the somewhat peeved look on her face, it was clear she had overheard the last little bit of the conversation. Her boyfriend blinked a few times, his jaw dropping open before he pinched himself to make sure he was still awake.

"No, you're not dreaming you goofball." Nyx rolled her eyes as she walked past him, tossing her bag in the boat. "You're lucky I love you, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know, but you're just as lucky that I love you too," Kai grinned broadly before wrapping her in a bear hug and twirling her around, causing the girl to let out a rather undignified squeak. He chuckled before giving her a quick kiss and letting her go. "I was so worried you were going to say no."

"In all honesty I almost did," Nyx shook her head and sighed. "You can thank Pandora for changing my mind by the way."

"Ah yes, the weapon's master herself...she'll be a good leader in the House."

"At least until Yusei or Ryker surpasses her." The black tentacled inkling's words caused Kai to do a double take.

"Wait, what? I mean, I can see Yusei getting pretty high, but Ryker? He's too impulsive and angry for his own good," Kai replied with a sigh. "That was one of the reasons we were concerned with inducting him in because he isn't a team player...I mean, we're talking about someone that goes after his own teammates in rage at times."

"Yeah but the angry ones are the dangerous ones...he'll get up there someday. Hopefully, by that time he'll have matured a bit and won't be as hotheaded."

"Okay, this is all fine and dandy but Seabass and I have no clue who any of these people are," Amira pointed out.

"Yeah...plus we are kind of on a schedule…" Sebastian added, fiddling with his tentacles nervously.

"Right, my apologies," Nyx sighed. "So I heard something about faking our deaths?"

"Yeah, just make it look like a fight or something...you guys have spare versions of your outfits? Maybe put them in the water so it looks like you got shoved in or something?"

Nyx and Kai looked at each other before the latter shifted his tentacle color to orange and began spraying ink around, shifting back to blue occasionally to add to the black ink his girlfriend was laying down. When the two were done it looked like a fight had taken place, with no less than ten orange inklings taking on the couple. Nyx instantly began rummaging around in her bag, eventually coming up with a blank set of her standard turf war gear and dropping it into the water. Kai did the same, before hesitating a bit. He ran his hand over his .52 gal deco fondly for a minute before placing it on the dock, partially sticking out of a puddle of orange ink.

"Wait you're leaving your gun behind?" Nyx blinked, a bit shocked at his actions. Kai loved his weapon, it had been by his side for as many battles as Nyx could remember, so for him to just abandon it was shocking.

"Yeah...I mean, it's got a custom paint job," Kai sighed sadly, looking at the weapon with a wistful look on his face. "It's too recognizable...I'll miss it a lot and I wish I could take it with me but...it'd be awfully suspicious if a person with a dead inkling's gun suddenly showed up."

"Oh…" His girlfriend glanced over at her kelp splatterscope, thankful that it didn't look to be anything out of the ordinary.

"You don't have to leave yours if you don't want to," Sebastian said quickly.

"It'll be okay, Nyx...I have a different weapon that I can use...admittedly it's not my best weapon but I can still use it." Kai still sounded sad, but after a last look at the gun he climbed into the boat and held out a hand to Nyx. "Ready to go love?"

"Yeah...I think so," she took his hand and gracefully stepped down into the boat. There was a sense of finality in her movements as if she knew she wouldn't be returning for quite some time, if ever. Once the two were settled in the boat Amira grinned and began messing around with the engine.

"This is your captain speaking! Next stop, deserted continent to the south in the middle of nowhere! Thank you for choosing Cephalopod Alliance Shipping Lines!"

"Oh, let me drive," Sebastian sighed, gently pushing his cackling twin sister out of the way. "There's a reason I was the one that did anything mechanical back when we were in Octo Valley, you'd break everything."

"Heh heh...I know bro, I'm just messing with you and trying to lighten the mood," Amira shrugged, a cheeky grin on her face as she flopped down onto a box. "Saving the world with a gloomy face gets rather boring."

Sebastian and Nyx both let out a pair of sighs, while Kai chuckled a bit awkwardly. Perhaps the girl meant well, but there was a time and place for everything and in such a serious moment as this joking around was not the best thing to do. A pity it seemed that Amira didn't know that or understand the concept.

"So where exactly are we setting up a base of operations?" Nyx inquired, refusing to look behind her as the boat started up and pulled away from the dock. She didn't want to see her home vanish behind the horizon, or the inky battlefield her and Kai had created to mislead their friends. There was a touch of guilt weighing down her heart, knowing that she was leaving so many of her friends behind, tricking them into thinking that she was dead and done.

"Like Amira said, there's a large island about forty klicks south of here...as far as we're aware of no one's discovered it." Sebastian frowned as he spoke, looking down at the display on the control panel. "We can set up a camp there for the time being. If it doesn't work out we can move to another location."

"Right…" Nyx trailed off, looking out over the ocean silently, Kai reaching out to grab her hand.

"Hey," he said, "we'll get back to the city one day."

"Yeah...maybe…"

"Pandora!" A loud, frantic knocking on the door to the purple tentacled teenager's apartment was what startled her from the bed the next morning. Letting out a screech she fell off the comfortable mattress and onto the floor, hands flailing around for a weapon as she tried to kick her way out of the blankets.

"You'll never take the zone while I'm alive!"

"Pandora chill you're just dreaming!" Kasumi finally managed to get the door open and burst into the room. Quickly the girl ran over to her friend and grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her. After a few minutes of this, the weapons' master slowly stopped flailing and sleepily looked around

"Oh, hi Kasumi...why am I sleeping on the floor?" She yawned before stretching lazily.

"Never mind that, an emergency meeting's being called and you're running it."

"Wait, what?" The inkling looked at Kasumi in shock. "Why?"

"There was a fight on the pier last night...Nyx and Kai are dead, they found his gun on the dock and their clothes in the water and the remnants of what looks like a huge fight..."

Pandora froze. They were dead? Gone? Just like that? No, it couldn't be, they couldn't be dead. Almost unbidden her brain began to try to rationalize this, figure out some way that this couldn't be real. Suddenly a tiny fragment of memory from just a few days ago popped out, a memory of speaking to Nyx in the cafe.

" _I talked to Kai...he's leaving the House."_

Kai had been planning on leaving and Nyx had been struggling to go with him...and now both of them turned up dead. It was strange, almost too much of a coincidence for it to be a tragic accident. The very fact that the two best fighters in the House had gotten overwhelmed and killed was practically unnatural. They didn't get their titles just for their looks after all.

"I have to go wake the others up...but I figured I should tell you first." Kasumi bowed respectfully, a mournful look on her face. "You are our leader now, after all."

With that, she exited the room, no doubt off to alert the others. Pandora stood up before crossing over to stare out the window.

"Something tells me that you two aren't dead," she mused quietly to herself. "I have no proof of that, but I'd bet my reputation as a fighter you two lovesquids are still alive…"

Sighing, Pandora continued to stare out over the city that she was now in charge of, gradually coming to terms with things. After a few minutes spent in silence, she turned on her heel and walked out the door. Though her friends were theoretically dead, the time for mourning would come later. For now, the purple tentacled inkling had a House meeting to run, and showing up late for that would not be good.


	9. Epilogue

**Epilogue: 2 years later...**

* * *

"I still can't believe the octarians are sending out an octostriker of all things…" Amira sighed as she followed Nyx through the maze of rooftops and back alleys. "Let alone that they'd send one near Urchin Underpass of all places. I mean, that's just plain stupid! Do they have any idea how many city residents hang out here?"

"They probably do. Inkopolis is more active during the day." Nyx's eyes flickered behind her briefly, a look of irritation on her face. No doubt she wasn't at all pleased with her companion's chattiness.

"But Nyx-"

"It's either Alpha or Agent Alpha in the field, Sigma," Nyx interrupted, frowning. "You know what will happen if anyone catches us.

"Yeah I know I know," the octoling replied with an eye roll. "Still say you're being paranoid."

"You really want to get caught? From what Delta told me it didn't go well for the two of you when the octarians found you out the last time."

Amira shuddered at the memory, still able to recall the sickly green skin and glowing blue tentacles of the octolings that had originally captured her and her brother all those years ago. Time may have blurred the memories slightly but the fear those creatures instilled would never fade completely.

"So in all likelihood, what're the chances that Cuttlefish's Agents will be on the case with this and we won't have to step in?"

"Not sure...probably pretty high." Nyx continued to trek forward, ignoring Amira's awkward topic change.

"Eh, I hope they'll be there. That guy with the shooter weapon's cute."

"Really?" The partial squidling sighed as Amira began to fawn over that particular Agent and his looks. She really thought Fabio was cute? Well, everyone had their own particular type she figured.

Amira continued to swoon over the Agent as they hopped down onto the last rooftop between them and a large somewhat open area near the Underpass. Nyx dimly recalled that the newcomers to Inkopolis would sometimes come here to train with their weapons until they had access to Sheldon's firing range. It was a bit out of the way, and taking over it really wouldn't have done anything to give the octarians a tactical advantage, but sure enough there in the sky was one of their UFOs. Nyx frowned, only to facepalm when Amira let out a small squeal.

"Look, there he is!" She exclaimed, pointing down below them. Sure enough, there were Cuttlefish's agents making their way towards the octostriker. Curiously enough, however, there was now a fourth one among their numbers, a girl armed with another hero shot. She must've been new. As the two observed them an inkstrike fell from the sky, startling this newcomer. She let out a surprised yelp, the yellow hue slipping from her tentacles briefly to be replaced by a black one in her fright.

"No way, she's got black tentacles like you!" Amira elbowed Nyx, gesturing eagerly to the new girl. "There's more like you out there Nyx! You're not the only one of your kind!"

"How many times do I have to remind you, it's Alpha?" Nyx shook her head, a frustrated tone to her voice. "And I could care less if I'm the only one of my kind. She could have orange tentacles with pink plaid stripes for all I could care. They have the situation under control, let's head back and rendezvous with Omega."

Grumbling under her breath Nyx walked off across the rooftop and lightly leaped up to the next one, starting the long trip back to the shore where her boyfriend would be waiting with a boat. Amira watched her go for a minute before sighing.

"Well she woke up on the wrong side of the bed today," the octoling muttered before glancing back at the four inklings down below. "Welp, guess I've gotta go with lil' miss grumpyfins. But fear not! We shall be back!"

With a wink and a cheery salute in the general direction of the agents - not that any of them saw it - she broke into a run, dashing after the distant form of Nyx.

* * *

 **And that's it for this fanfic. I'm hoping you all enjoyed reading it. The next story in The Darkness quartet, The Darkest Hour, should be out shortly (or now, depending on when you're reading this), but until then, thanks for reading. **

**If you have any questions for me about this story or any of my other ones I have a curious cat account (username ShadowDragon42, the same as my twitter handle), so feel free to shoot me a question over there.**


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